The Legend of Zelda: The End
by JosiahClark
Summary: The story of the war that tore Hyrule apart. Beware of cringe-worthy descriptions and dialogue. Written 2006-2008.
1. Introduction

**_INTRODUCTION_**

There is a legend with a prophesy. A legend that speaks of a chosen one. One who would rise above all his kin to strike down the Evil that looms over the land of Hyrule.

A legend... whose prophesy has not yet been fulfilled.

But now, as Hyrule's future begins to look dim, and the shadows close in around us... I believe that the Chosen One... The Hero of the legend... Is about to make himself known. He will soon begin his journey... Even now, as I write these hopeful words with my quill, I feel that he is coming to deliver us from the Dark Power.

I am Jade, the chronicler. I shall record the deeds of the Hero after they have come to pass, so that those who come after me may know the legend.

I shall continue writing in one year, I swear it.

It has been a year since last I set my quill to work in this book. The blank pages rustle and crackle as I turn them to where I wrote last. All of the maps and stories that I wrote here before mean nothing now.

The Hero came. And as is my duty, I shall now proceed to account his journeys and battles...

And of how he saved us from the Dark Power that had taken over this amazing land.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Chosen One

**Part 1: The Twin Blades**

 **Chapter 1: The Chosen One**

Link yawned as he awoke in his chamber in Hyrule Castle. He rubbed his eyes lazily, and rolled his stiff shoulders. It was nice to be a squire here. The King and the Princess both liked him, and he always felt content. Link was the squire to Sir Marcus, a decorated General in Hyrule's army. Link had been given the week off of his regular duties while Sir Marcus was out on a hunting expedition, and he was simply enjoying life.

As Link's blurry morning vision slowly cleared and he yawned again, he remembered the other reason why he had been allowed to stay at the castle:

Today, he would become a knight of Hyrule!

Link tumbled off the bed and rushed around the room, hitting himself for being so forgetful. How could he have forgotten? This was the day he had looked forward to for a year, and on the very morning, he forgot all about it and slept in an hour.

Link smiled as he pulled his green tunic over his head. He was going to be a Knight. This was what he had been dreaming about for so long, and now he was finally going to be able to become a Knight. He would swear the vow, he would be knighted by the King, and then he would be a Knight.

Link shook his head laughing as he remembered. He had promised Zelda that he would meet her in the hall before he made for the ceremonies...

She was his best friend, after all.

Link sprinted through the Castle's corridors, heading for the Great Hall. He nearly ran into Ganondorf as he sped around a corner.

"Impudent boy!" Ganondorf shouted. "You are the reason for all the commotion and ceremony, and you are foolish enough to go running into your language instructor on the very morning of your Knighting! Are you mad, boy?"

Link, wide eyed with surprise at the sudden encounter, shook his head as sorrowfully as he could, and after a long string of apologies that he had rehearsed in case he ever upset Ganondorf, he slowly walked to the Great Hall

When Link made it at last to the Great Hall, he saw Zelda leaning against the wall. She was wearing her pink and red dress, with her diamond tiara glittering in the light of the huge chandeliers used to light the Great Hall. Her bright blue eyes were shining with excitement, and her smile was beaming as Link approached her.

"Hello, Princess Zelda. I hope you are well." Link said awkwardly.

"Why are you talking like that, Link? You've been acting so strangely lately! Come on you ninny, tell me the news! What was your big surprise?"

Link faked a confused look, but his guilty smile gave him away. "I'm being knighted today, Zelda! I'm going to be a Knight!

Zelda frowned at Link, not believing him. "No, you are not! My father would have told me if you were-"

"I asked him to keep it a surprise so that I could tell you today." Link bragged

Zelda shook her head in mock exasperation, and smiled. "Why you little! You actually asked my father, the King that? He must really like you! I suppose that you really did want to surprise me, Link! I'm so happy for you!"

Link laughed, and then slowly regained the composure that he had kept earlier. "I must be heading off then." He said in the most noble and proper voice he could muster, and then, laughing, he waved to Zelda, and made for the Throne Room.

The ceremony during which Link and the other squires who had come of age were to be knighted was huge and elaborate. Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses, the King, the Princess Zelda, Knights, servants, farmers, butchers, everyone within ten miles of Hyrule Castle had been summoned to witness the affair. Link stood proudly beside his comrades, trying to look as noble and powerful as he felt. His best friend, Ereb, jabbed him with his elbow.

"Link!" Ereb whispered.

"What?"

"I heard something... It seems that the Knights are to be taken into the Sacred Chambers after being knighted, to be put through three trials."

Link frowned. "I never heard that before!" He hissed. "Where did you come by that idea?"

Ereb gave Link a hurt look, but then proceeded to whisper "John, our weapons instructor told me. He is a Knight too, you know!

Link shook his head. "The things that you will believe, Ereb..." He began, but at that moment, the trumpets sounded for the knighting ceremony to begin, and Link and Ereb stood stiff and erect, trying not to burst out into happy laughter.

The ceremonies proceeded slowly and solemnly, with each boy who was to be knighted walking over to the King, bowing, and then reciting the vow of the Knights of Hyrule:

 _I, as a Knight, do solemnly swear to:_

 _Protect Hyrule, in life or death,_

 _To aid those in need,_

 _To learn the ways of the sword and bow,_

 _To uphold the law,_

 _And to honor my King._

 _These oaths do I swear._

When Link had taken the sacred oath, he bowed to the King and to Zelda, who smiled and, almost silently whispered

"I'm proud of you, friend."

To which Link answered, "Thank you, Zelda."

After the remainders of the squires were knighted, the ceremony ended, and the festivities began. So joyous were all who joined in, that no one noticed Ganondorf, the instructor of languages, slip silently away.


	3. Chapter 2 - Secret of the Sacred Chamber

**Chapter 2: The Secrets of the Sacred Chamber**

After the ceremony had ended and all most of the guests had left, Link and Ereb still lingered in the Courtyard, talking about the great honor that they had both received.

"I wonder if what John said was true." Ereb said, breaking the silence of the empty place.

"You mean about those three trials in a Sacred Chamber? I rather doubt it." Link said.

Ereb shook his head, acting as if he was sad at Link's unbelief.

Link laughed, and slapped Ereb across the back. "Ereb, my friend, I believe you. I just hope that you are right."

It was late in the night when Link was awakened by a heavy pounding on the door to his chambers. He rubbed his eyes and lazily eased himself off of the bed. He walked to the door and swung it open. A page stood there, his arms folded impatiently.

"The King has summoned all of the new Knights to the Throne Room. You are already running late." He said, and stalked off.

Link hurried around the room, preparing himself. He slipped into his squire clothing, and sprinted out the door for the Throne Room.

When he reached the decorated room, he walked over to the line of Knights and squires that had been assembled. He took his place in line by Ereb, and they stood stiffly, their muscles still cramped from waking only minutes earlier. Ereb risked a faint whisper.

"What did I tell you? We are about to go through those trials that Master John told me about!"

The King rose from his throne, and raised his scepter. "Welcome, new Knights of Hyrule! You are about to undergo a difficult challenge. A challenge that will test your skills and your bravery, your intuition and wisdom. Are you prepared?"

A chorus of "Yes, your majesty" Broke out among the new Knights, but Link could only stare at the King as he strode over to his throne. He pressed on something on the throne's back. There was a loud click, and suddenly a wall nearby the Knights rumbled open. The Knights could only stare into the unveiled chamber in disbelief, and the King smiled.

"You are to partake in three trials of bravery and cunning, to test your abilities. This is a secret tradition, and each of you must swear not to ever reveal it."

Ereb snickered about something, but Link was too focused on the King to notice.

"Do you each swear this?"

All of the Knights raised their hands and swore, and then the King led them all into the Sacred Chamber.

The King led the Knights through the long, dark tunnel. A draft was soon in the air and the farther that they walked the damper and more chill the air became. After several minutes of walking, the King halted, reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a key, and unlocked a door that no one but him had seen yet. The door opened with a squealing of rusty hinges, and suddenly the tunnel was flooded with the warm light of torches and fires beyond. The Knights followed the King into the huge chamber. It was truly massive, with a high ceiling and a vast floor. Torches lined the walls, and three camp fires lit the rest of the room.

The walls were decorated with richly embroidered tapestries and paintings, all of which were depicting various times in Hyrule's history.

Link gasped as he looked at the various paintings. They all depicted the times when the legendary Hero had appeared to rescue Hyrule from darkness. One painting showed the Hero of Light's struggle against the Oracle of Doom. One portrayed the Hero of Shadows slaying Kratin, the mighty wicked dragon created by the Dark King's evil magic. Link's eyes widened a he saw the various struggles of the great Heroes of the past, all of whom had succeeded and freed Hyrule from a Dark Power...

The King spoke, shaking Link from his daydreams. "This room is the Sacred Chamber, built by the great Sages of old. This place was once a haven of safety in case of evil, but now we use it to give Knights a chance to prove themselves."

Ereb nudged Link, but Link remained silent, his gaze fixed upon the King. After a moment, the King continued.

"The first trial is to be found by making your way through that door." The King said, gesturing to a large decorated door, inscribed with words in a language no longer understood by those who lived in Hyrule. "Who shall enter, to face the first challenge?"

A heavy silence fell upon them all, until finally, Link stepped forward. "I." He said simply, and bowed.

The King nodded, and opened the great door. Link gathered his strength and bravery, and stepped through the doorway into a world of darkness.

Link ventured into the dark tunnel, clenching his fists against his fears. The tunnel was long and had many turns, and Link had to feel the walls with his hands outstretched just to keep from losing his way. Eventually, he saw a dim light far off. As he approached, he saw that it was a red light, coming from flames far off. He made his way to the light, and as he came close, he saw what the first challenge was going to be. A massive beast was asleep within the chamber ahead. It had green and blue scaled skin, and its breath was like the growling of a lion. Smoke blew from its nostrils when it exhaled, and it was altogether a menacing and frightening sight.

Link's eyes widened and his face grew pale as he approached the monster, but then, gathering all of his strength, he snuck up to it and picked up a stone on the chamber's floor nearby. He took the heavy stone, and crawled silently to the creature's gaping mouth. It was full of razor sharp teeth that gleamed in the light of the fires farther off. Link, weighing the stone in his hand, prepared to strike. He hesitated for a moment, and in that moment, the beast opened its eyes. Upon seeing the boy in front of its maw, it roared, shaking the chamber. It sprang to its clawed feet swifter than Link could have ever imagined, and growled like a cornered dog.

Link could only think of how scared of the monster he was. But then, as he glared into the beast's red eyes, and felt his ears aching from the loud roaring of its anger, he remembered. He was a Knight. He could do this! A gleam came into his eyes, and at the same moment, monster and Knight moved.

The monster began to move to the right, and Link leapt onto its scaly back. The creature howled in fury, but Link forced himself to remain calm. He took the heavy stone in his hand, and pounded the monster's eye with it.

The beast howled and roared in pain, and shook Link off of its back. Link rolled to the side, barely dodging the monster's sharp claws. He got up as swiftly as he could, and sprinted to the opposite wall of the chamber.

The beast stumbled around the room, wailing in agony. Link used its momentary distraction to take his bearings. Looking desperately around him, he searched for something- _anything_ he could use to fight with. Then he saw it. An unlit torch was hanging in a pedestal mounted on the wall, which Link snatched and broke on his knee. Taking the large hunk of wood, he ground it against the wall as fast as he could, to make a hasty weapon.

The monster recovered, its eye sealed shut with drying blood. Seeing Link, it roared, and came charging at him with all its speed. Link, now wielding the sharp fragment of the torch, dropped to the floor, allowing the monster to get above him. Under it, Link saw its sole weak spot: Its unarmored stomach. He closed his eyes, and clenched his teeth. He shouted,

"FOR ZELDA!"

And thrust the sharpened end of the torch into the beast's belly. It shook violently from the pain, and moaning, it collapsed to the floor, dead just after Link rolled away.

Link dropped to the floor, and leaning against the wall, tried to catch his breath. He stared at the reeking corpse. He had succeeded at the first challenge! He had actually done it! Link smiled to himself, wishing that someone else had been around to see. He had overcome his fears, and had destroyed the monster.

He stuck the wet torch into his belt, and headed back through the tunnel, making his way back towards the Sacred Chamber.

When he reached the room, however, the lights had been extinguished. It was pitch black in the chamber, and the vast size of the room added to the feeling of nothingness that surrounded Link, slowly strangling his happiness.

"Is anyone here?" he called out. No answer came to him save the eerie echoes of his own voice.

Link's heart raced, and his fears once again came back to him. He began to move slowly through the empty room, looking for some sign of life.

Nothing could be found.

As he walked, his eyes began to make out large, dark shapes on the ground. He stepped over the objects, whatever they were, and continued. He proceeded in this manner until he walked straight into a wall, bumping his head on one of the torch brackets.

"Oww," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. He sat down and leaned against the wall, trying to relax. He rubbed his eyes, and as the minutes passed, he slowly began to make out more clearly defined shapes. He stared at one of the lumps on the floor particularly. Something about it seemed strangely familiar. He gasped, tears springing to his eyes.

The King lay dead. The Knights who had accompanied him into the Sacred Chamber were motionless; eyes staring and mouths still agape in the horror of their last moments. Link dared not look again. He dropped to his knees, and wept. They were dead. Every single one of them. His comrades... Dead.

And as he wept there, he heard movement in the shadows. A rusty blade scraped against its sheath as it was drawn, and a soft voice spoke.

"Hello, Link."

Link looked up, and was shocked to see two white, glowing eyes peering at him out of the dark.

"We have waited long for this. The end of the Hero's lineage, and hence the last threat to our dominion."

Link rubbed the tears from his eyes. The Hero's Lineage? What was this wicked creature saying?

Link's anger, and his need for revenge of the murder of his fellow Knights, won him over. His fears were consumed in the dark flames of his hatred and anger. This beast had killed them, and now it would die.

Link shouted, and leaping forward with incredible speed, he pulled the torch out of his belt, and stabbed the darkness between the white eyes. A wail of pain and anger filled the room for a moment, and then died away with a deafening shriek. Somehow, the light returned to the room. Link was all alone. No trace of the beast with white eyes remained, save a dark stain on the floor.


	4. Chapter 3 - Alone

**Chapter 3: Alone**

Link shook his head as if casting away his sadness. He had to find the way out of here. He searched the creature's body, but only found a curved, short sword. He stuck it into his belt, and towards the door, blinking back his tears. He didn't have the heart to look at the bodies of his friends.

He already knew who was lying there. Ereb, the King, and the others had all been murdered by the dark creature, and Link now knew what he must do. He had to avenge them. He had to stop whoever was trying to take over Hyrule.

He had to try, at least.

Suddenly, a rock fell from the ceiling. A loud rumbling noise came from deep within the tunnel he had ventured into, and the dim red light of the flame beyond was getting steadily brighter and hotter. Link found himself sweating. He pulled the monster's sword out of his belt, and waited for whatever might be coming to attack him. He glared into the light, challenging the flames with his anger, swearing his revenge.

But the flames had other plans then to be destroyed by a fifteen year old boy, knighted the day before. A roar erupted from the fire. And then Link saw him.

A tall man in a black, flaming cloak. His cloak's hood shadowed his face, but two piercing red eyes peered out. The man gripped a long flaming blade, and a black steel shield. Link, shaken and afraid, glared.

The man gave Link a mock salute with his flaming sword, and both moved at once. The man stepped to the right, swinging his sword at Link's left side, while at the same moment Link ducked to the left, and rolled at the man. The flames of his attacker's cloak singed Link's tunic, but his anger was far more powerful than the cloaked man realized.

In fact, it was more than Link himself realized.

With a shout of anger, revenge, and hatred, Link bore down upon his enemy, without giving the flames a second of his thoughts. Link slashed at the man, but he merely dodged the attack, slamming his shield into Link's back, and knocking him down. Link sprang to his feet, now angrier than ever, and snatched his fallen blade. The man was far more powerful than he, though. If Link stepped to the right, the man would make a subtle movement of his arm, preparing to strike. And then when Link would swing, the man would release his movement, proving to Link by the pain he would receive how foolish he was to fight.

But then, a change came. The man shook his head, and suddenly the fires of his sword and of his cloak extinguished themselves. Link glared, not knowing what to do, but the man laughed. It was a terrible sound, but somehow, it seemed familiar. Link's curiosity won him over, but not before his anger. He attacked the man with an over-handed strike, but the man stepped to the left and dodged it, and with a blow from his fist Link was sent sprawling.

Again the man laughed, and now Link knew for sure that he knew that voice. Suddenly, the man removed the hood, revealing himself to be...

THE KING!

Link staggered back, unable to keep his balance. The King? But he was dead! He had been killed by that creature! How was he here? The King gave Link a serious look, and Link saw that he was extremely pale. His skin was a pasty white, and he had the look of one who had drowned. Link frowned.

"Who are you?" He demanded, still afraid.

The King opened his mouth to speak, and Link was amazed at the voice which was portrayed. It was the blending of a deep, fell voice and a high, powerful voice. Power and gentleness combined… The way the King had always been, magnified in his speech beyond the grave.

"The time has come. Darkness is rising. Doom is nigh. Already you have seen the terror that has been created by the Dark Lord's servants. They have taken the life of the King, and have slain his Knights. You were spared, but not by luck or chance. You were spared, because you are the Hero, chosen to rescue Hyrule from the darkness."

Link's eyes widened and his face became almost as pale as the Ghost King's. "I? I have been chosen to..."

The King nodded, his face unchanged.

"But how? I am only a boy! I was only knighted yesterday! How am I supposed to save Hyrule? I was scared enough of that monster and you, how could I ever have the courage to save Hyrule?"

The King, unchanged till now, allowed something like a smile to pass over his face. "You shall find your bravery. I shall give you some guidance of where you should go first. There is an old man who lives in the Castle. He was once a great man, who triumphed over many challenges and evils. He shall aid you."

"But who is he?" Link asked desperately. "Where can I find him?"

The Ghost of the King began to fade, and light started to creep into the dark room. As the Ghost disappeared, his voice came as if from a great distance, echoing throughout the chamber.

"You will know when you find him. You will know…..."

The Sacred Chamber slowly lit up again, and Link rubbed his eyes. He had become accustomed to the darkness. He walked out of the Sacred Chamber as if in a trance, and slowly, he found himself making his way to the Great Hall.

All the other people in the castle seemed unaffected by the nightmares that the night had brought. For indeed, day had broken while Link was battling the cloaked King, and now the sunlight was pouring through the high windows of the Castle walls, lighting and warming the chambers within.

When Link reached the Great Hall, he was dismayed to find that Zelda was not there. Master Ganondorf Dragonmire the language instructor was there however. He was sitting in a cushioned chair at a desk outside of the Castle Schoolroom, pouring over a book's contents. Link approached, hoping that the teacher would be in a good mood. He was relieved to find that Ganondorf was far happier than usual, and he was actually smiling as he read. A rare thing for him to be doing.

Link made sure not to disturb Ganondorf as he paused halfway to him, wondering if he could tell him.

Ganondorf had been a close friend of the King, and had even been a kind man at times, giving Link advice when he needed it. Link saw no reason why he should not tell Ganondorf of what had happened to the King and the Knights, but something deep inside him made him hesitate. He shook the feeling away, but decided not to tell him of the cloaked King, nor what the King's Ghost had told him.

As Link approached the large desk, he studied Master Ganondorf Dragonmire's features. He was a tall man, with bright orange - red hair, a prominent nose, and red eyes that seemed to drill through you when he was angry. He always wore similar clothing: Black pants with silver and grey boots, with a dark grey tunic. A silver belt was always worn around the tunic, which Ganondorf always claimed had been given to him by a Gueredo Queen. The belt was also where he strapped his sword if need be. He wore a black cloak decorated with the red markings and signs of the Gueredos, and finally, he wore a gold headband with a red jewel set into the front.

Link felt the hesitation again, but shook it away again, blinking back his tears.

After Link finished, Ganondorf's sad eyes won Link's trust. He comforted the boy as best he could, and Link nearly burst into sobs of misery at the loss of Ereb, and Ganondorf lamented over the loss of several students.

After a time, Zelda happened by, and Link tried to act normally and greet her like nothing had happened. Zelda saw through his pitiful act immediately, but forgave him because of Ganondorf's presence.

She was sure that he would tell her whatever the trouble was later.

After Zelda had passed by into the next chamber, Master Ganondorf gave Link a sad look.

"Link, I am terribly sorry for your part in these events. No one should have to go through that."

Link nodded, his misery now coupled with exhaustion. He barely heard Ganondorf's suggestion that he take it easy the rest of the day, and the next time he was aware of anything, he was lying in his bed.

Ganondorf was in the middle of teaching a group of students the art of an ancient language, when a knock came on the classroom door.

Ganondorf answered the door, and briefly spoke to the man who was outside. One curious student barely heard Ganondorf say "I will speak with you in a moment." But before the boy heard anything else, Ganondorf had returned to the teacher's desk, and was saying, "Students, I am sorry for this, but I must cancel the classes for today. Head along to Master Green, and explain to him that I have an emergency that cannot be overlooked."

The students obediently (and, to be truthful, jovially) headed out the door, eager to have one more class out of the way, and happy at the prospect of getting extra time in the afternoon.

Ganondorf's thoughts, however, were far less happy or lighthearted. He had business to attend to.

Later, Link was asleep in his chambers. He had wept himself to sleep, when there came a soft rapping at the door. Link, who was sleeping lightly and fitfully, awoke at the sound, and wearily went to the door, answering it. When he opened the door, shock flushed his face and his jaw dropped.

Ereb stood in the doorway, his left side caked with dirt and blood.

Link smiled and nearly embraced his best friend, but then a creeping suspicion took his thoughts. His smile faded.

"Are you… alive?" he asked, the question sounding almost comical in the severity of the situation.

"Yes. I'm sorry I made you think I was dead, but I had to hide from those monsters."

Link shook his head, tears of happiness in his eyes. "You're sorry? I should be the one who is apologizing! I should have searched the bodies!"

Ereb's voice became grave. "Link, I was there when the King's Ghost appeared. I know what you were told."

Link smiled a bit. "I'm glad you do, Ereb. I was afraid that I would have to try to do this alone."

Ereb and Link embraced, and Link laughed. "You are really a sight, aren't you?"

Ereb touched his face, and smiled. "I suppose I am."

"Ereb, tell me what happened after I left. How did it start?"

Ereb frowned, and began. "After you went into the tunnel, we all stayed there, waiting for you to return. I walked over and looked at the paintings. When the monsters came, the lights went out, and when I saw the battle going on, and saw that everyone was dead, I dropped to the floor, and acted like they had killed me. I saw you when you returned, and…

He sobbed.

Link nodded slowly at this, and they continued to talk for awhile, until Ereb stood. "Well, I want to get all this filth off of my face. Do you mind?" Link smiled, and told him to go ahead. After Ereb had left, Link laid down on his bed, laughing.

He was glad that Ereb was still alive. He was still exhausted, and dozed off.

There was another knock at the door. Link awoke, and saw Zelda standing there. His feelings suddenly turned dark. She must be told what had happened, but he did not want to do it.

"Zelda," Link began after she had come in and sat down, "I have something to tell you. Something really horrible. But I have to explain it to you, and you have to trust me."

Zelda stood, tears in her eyes, and shook her head. "I already know, Link. I know about the Sacred Chamber. I know about my father. I know about it all."

Link, still suppressing his tears, said "How?"

"When you left Ganondorf, I followed you. It wasn't long before Ereb showed up, so I hid from him. I listened through the door, because I knew something was wrong. I'm sorry Link, but now that I know the news, I'm glad you didn't tell me. I would have hated you. I want revenge as much as you do, Link. We need each other's help to get through this and defeat whoever it is that is destroying Hyrule."

And then, they wept together.


	5. Chapter 4 - As Time Goes By

**Chapter 4: As Time Goes By**

As this was happening, Ganondorf was in his chambers, speaking with the strange man who had interrupted his class. The man was a short fat one, with long, black hair and blue eyes that shone when he smiled.

The man was not smiling on this occasion.

Ganondorf was frowning, sitting in a large decorated chair. The messenger was standing before him, accounting an event to him.

"Our troops fell back at the final attack, and while we managed to slay many, the cursed Zoras drove us away!"

Ganondorf pounded his fist on his chair. "Curse those blasted water dwellers! They have become far too confident in their protection under King Dante Hyrule, but now that he is gone, my plans can continue, and possibly, succeed."

"What plans, my Lord?" The man asked, his face twisted in curiosity.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Go back to the main front, and inform my generals of the changes in events that I told you of earlier. They can now advance with my full strength. The Zoras must be eliminated!"

The messenger bowed hastily, and, frightened by Ganondorf's savage tone of voice, he sped out of the room, down the hall, and out of the castle. Meanwhile, Master Ganondorf Dragonmire sat in his chair, brooding over the other news he had heard at this brief meeting. His armies were weary, and many leaders had been slain. He needed reinforcements.

An idea hit him, and a wicked smile stretched across his dark face.

 _Yes, that will do nicely._ He thought, and then got up, and strode to the Throne Room.

Link and Zelda were still talking when Ereb knocked on the door again. Link let him in, and introduced Ereb to Zelda. Ereb was shy and nervous, and the expression on his face as he was introduced made Link laugh. After this was done, they talked about what was happening, and what Link's plans were to be. Ereb was rather surprised at Zelda's knowledge of the story, but Link explained it to him. After talking awhile, they reached the subject of the Ghost King.

"The Ghost said that I must seek out a man. He said that he was once great, whatever that means. I have no idea where I should look for him, though." Link said.

Ereb's eyes immediately brightened as he realized the answer. "It's Sir Marcus! The Knight that you were a squire to, Link! It's him!"

Zelda frowned. "He is away hunting. He won't be back for three more days, at least. Maybe more, if he and his hunting party keep up their old habits of staying longer than planned."

Link shook his head. "Sir Marcus... But he isn't old, Ereb. He is only in his forties. The oldest man in the castle is Old Majora. He is always here and there, doing whatever his crazy mind thinks of at that moment. He could be anywhere in or out of the castle, and finding him could take hours. Hours that we may not have."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked, her expression once again bewildered.

"The Ghost said that Darkness and Doom were nigh. This Dark Power, whatever it is, could begin its strike today. We may have five minutes, or we may have a year. Nothing is certain. Let's agree that we will tell no one outside of ourselves and Master Ganondorf anything that happens here."

"Master Ganondorf?" Ereb asked sarcastically. "You told him, didn't you? You fool! He is the worst one here! He is more likely to use that information to have us arrested than to help us."

Link glared at Ereb. "You mean he will use it to have _you_ arrested, you bag of wind. He hates you more than anyone."

"Link! Ereb! Stop arguing!" said Zelda. "We have to think! Where could Old Majora be right now?"

"The last time I saw him, he was tending horses in the stables." Ereb said.

"Very well, then. Go and find him! I cannot join you, because I will be guarded constantly once other people learn of my father's death." She said sadly.

Link gave her an encouraging wink as he left, and then he and Ereb made for the stables.

The Castle was huge and beautiful, with tall, white glistening turrets and sky blue roofs. The Gate itself was jaw dropping, ornamented with stone murals of Hyrule's rich history, similar to the ones in the Sacred Chamber. The ground was paved with white and grey stones, and all around was life. Birds flitted about from tower to tree, pet dogs ran throughout the Courtyard, and people were everywhere. There were shop keepers and carpenters, stone-masons and jugglers, inn keepers and beggars and a malady of others. Everything in and out of the Castle was bustling and busy, and even the magnificent huge statues that lined the streets and the gates seemed as if they were moving.

Ereb took in the scenery gladly after the long dark of the Sacred Chamber, but Link was more somber and grave. He was wondering if Old Majora was the man the Ghost had meant. He was a mask maker, who loved carving wood into strange shapes and making them into even stranger masks. He was kind enough, with tousled white hair and wild green eyes, but he always had a strange feeling about him.

The two knights walked along the wide streets, occasionally receiving nods or bows from some who had attended the ceremony. Link felt awkward at the attention they received, particularly under the dark circumstances.

Ereb spotted the stables first, but Link could smell them long before his friend pointed them out. A foul reek of manure and waste hung about the place like an invisible cloud. The feeling of walking into a wall of the stink was almost palpable.

They walked in, looking around as best they could for the old man. Ereb pretended to faint to cheer Link up, and Link laughed at the jest thankfully. They looked around in the stables for Old Majora, but could find no trace of him anywhere. Link shook his head.

"We had best look somewhere else, Ereb." He said, and they walked out.

But to their amazement and surprise, just as they left, there was Old Majora, walking down the street, jostling his way through the thick crowd of people. Link and Ereb looked at each other, and then they sprinted over to the strange man's side.

"Hello, Mr. Majora!" Ereb greeted happily, and the old man welcomed them with a smile.

"Hello, boys! I saw you both at your Knighting ceremony! I am quite proud." He said in a kind voice. "Why don't you follow me over to my hut? I have a hot meal prepared, and there is plenty for everyone!"

Link and Ereb, who had not eaten in almost a day and a half, suddenly felt their stomachs growling and agreed to the proposal wholeheartedly.

It was a fine meal. There was piping hot bread from the market and fish from the river, and water and carrots, and a basket full of a type of berries Link had never seen before.

The three of them ate comfortably, and after a time, Link found the courage to tell Old Majora his tale.

"Mr. Majora-" He began, but the old man put his finger over his lips, and said

"Wait just a moment, boys! I want to show you something first." He turned around, and opened a small chest with a fancy key. He reached in, and pulled out a strangely carved piece of dark colored wood.

"It is my greatest mask yet, or it will be when I am through." Old Majora said proudly.

He held out the unfinished mask, and Link studied it. It was heart shaped, with spikes on the sides. On the front were two massive eyes carved, and these were the only thing painted so far. They were frightening eyes, yellow with bits of green and black in them. The rest of the mask was mostly unfinished so far.

"Well boys, what do you think of it so far?" Old Majora asked, a smile on his old face. "I have named it 'Majora's Mask!"

Link smiled in admiration at the man's skills, but Ereb cowered back a little, as if it might bite him.

"It is fantastic work, sir." Link said, and with a smile, the man set the mask back into its chest. Only when the chest was locked did Ereb feel at ease again.

Old Majora smiled as he turned back to face Link and Ereb. Link was still transfixed by the mask's incredible workmanship, but Ereb couldn't shake the feeling of doom that had surrounded him. Presently, the conversation began again.

"Well, that was my greatest creation. I know it is incomplete, but I hope that when it is finished, my nephew will like it." Old Majora said, still smiling with measureless pride.

"Your nephew?" Link asked, shaken out of the mask's spell.

"Yes. He lives in a distant region of Hyrule, with a tribe of strange folk. He lives with them because he says that he is interested about learning their ways, but I don't quite understand his motives. -Anyway, he enjoys showing them my masks, and because he is my only family still living, he has asked me to send him masks that I make to show the tribe."

Link nodded, and Ereb sighed. He nudged Link, reminding him of their reason for visiting the old man in the first place. Link remembered with a start, and leaned forward in his seat.

"Mr. Majora, I have to tell you something." He began, and related the entire tale of the last day and a half. Old Majora would nod here and there, but something happened during the explanation that shocked Link and Ereb.

The moment that Link spoke of the King's Ghost, Old Majora cried out, and fainted. Link and Ereb jumped from their seats and tried to revive him, but their efforts were in vain...

For the moment.

Old Majora had found himself in a dream. Everything was black and strange, and for a few seconds, he saw nothing at all. But then, a bright figure appeared in front of him. The shining Ghost of the King.

" _You must aid Link however you can. He has been chosen. He is the Hero spoken of in the legends. Give him and his friend the Twin Blades. You know of what blades I speak."_

 _"Master, I don't understand."_ Majora said, bewildered, but the Ghost just shook his head.

 _"You shall, Old Friend. You shall."_

Then, the Ghost disappeared, and Old Majora's vision slowly returned, to see Link and Ereb kneeling over him, trying to get him to drink some water.

"Mr. Majora! Mr. Majora!" Ereb was crying, and Link was squeezing his eyes shut, refusing to believe this was happening.

Old Majora suddenly sat up, saying "No, NO! NO MORE!"

Ereb and Link staggered back, now more scared than before. But their expressions changed when Old Majora began laughing.

"I saw him, Link! I saw the King! And he told me to- Oh, my! One moment!" Old Majora said, and then hobbled over to another chest nearby. He opened it with another key, and pulled out four bundles of cloth. Unwrapping one, he revealed a beautiful sword. It was long and shining, with a diamond set into the hilt and a strange inscription on the blade that neither Link nor Ereb could read.

Old Majora unwrapped the other three bundles, revealing another sword exactly like the first, and two steel shields, inscribed with different words of the same strange language. Link's eyes lit up in wonder, and Ereb could only stare.

"These, are my most prized possessions! They are the _Vilan_ , the Twin Blades. The swords are inscribed with the following words."

 _The Blade of Light, forged by `Ukan the iron worker in his days of glory. Trust the Blade when shadows await thee, and know thy strengths, whatever they may be._

"That is the inscription on both swords. Legend tells that the man who forged them, `Ukan, put a spell upon them, to give them special powers when needed. And here are the Shields of the Order, made to hold back evil forces in the dark times before Hyrule was founded. They are strong and thick, and they shall not break, even from the heaviest of blows. Their inscriptions read:

 _A Shield of the Secret Order, shaped by Keshin and Triptin, the Knights of the Order. May it aid thee in thy quest to defeat Evil Powers._

"I am giving these to you because that is what the Ghost of the King told me to do. I know that they are much to give, but you shall need them." Old Majora said, and then turned to Link. "I believe that you can defeat these Evils, whatever they are. Succeed, Hero. Let none stop you in your quest. Good luck to both of you."

Link and Ereb took the Twin Blades and the Sacred Shields, and thanked Old Majora profusely.

"Where did you get these?" asked Ereb, eyes wide.

Old Majora just smiled broadly. "I had my own adventures as a young man," he said, and left it at that.

"The king appeared to you?" Link wondered. "What does that mean?"

Old Majora seemed not to hear him.

Ereb thanked Old Majora again, but Old Majora simply smiled, saying that the King had never led him astray, and that he was proud to be able to do him this last service. "I knew him when I was younger." He said. "We were friends, though his father never really approved. But now that he is gone, I am proud to be his friend more than ever. Good luck again!"


	6. Chapter 5 - Deep Breath Before a Plunge

**Chapter 5: The Deep Breath before the Plunge**

Meanwhile, Ganondorf was entering the Throne Room.

The Throne Room was full of its usual activities, as the death of the King was not yet known to anyone save he and Link. Ganondorf snickered under his breath. That pathetic brat had come to him with trust, and had told him everything that he needed to know. The King and the Knights were dead, save for Link and his friend. His forces had succeeded in their mission, even though they had been destroyed afterward.

Ganondorf walked regally to the Throne where the young Princess Zelda sat, attending to her duties. She had been given several small responsibilities by the King to train her for when she was Queen, and she performed them daily without fail. She was finishing up the last letter of her name as she wrote a note, and when she had finished, she looked up and saw Ganondorf.

"Good morning, your Highness. How may I aid you?" Ganondorf said, hiding his thoughts for the moment.

"Good morning, Master Dragonmire." Zelda answered proudly. Ganondorf noticed a slight tear in her eyes, but pretended not to see it.

 _So the boy has told her._ He thought, but then answered, "Your Highness, might I inquire as to the whereabouts of Sir Link?"

Zelda thought a moment, and said, "He has gone to the stables to speak with someone. He will probably return within the hour."

Ganondorf thanked Zelda, and then made his way back outside. He frowned as he realized this new complication.

Not only did the Brat have to be eliminated, but so did the Princess…

A while later, Link and Ereb left Old Majora's hut, hiding the Twin Blades and the Sacred Shields in large bags slung onto their backs. They made for the Castle, and eventually reached a Market Place full of people. They stopped to rest, (It was a very long walk), and spoke a while.

"Link, are you sure that Old Majora is all right?" Ereb began.

"All right? What do you mean?"

"I mean, how can we trust him?"

"The Ghost of the King told me that I would know who the man was when I found him, and when I first saw him in the street, I could just feel that it was him. Like it was just right that he was the one."

Ereb nodded. Sometimes Link made sense, but other times...

"Why do you ask?" Link asked, interrupting Ereb's thoughts.

"I don't know." Ereb said. "It's just when he brought out that mask of his, I was nervous and scared suddenly. It was strange."

Link nodded. "I felt the same way. But trust me, Ereb. Old Majora was the right one. Master Ganondorf was not the right man; I just felt it when I told him. And... I'm not sure, but there is something familiar about Old Majora that just makes me comfortable."

Ereb agreed, and then they continued up the long slope to the Castle Keep.

When Ganondorf returned to the Castle Throne Room later that day, everything was in turmoil. The King's body had been discovered, and now it was common news that Hyrule was leaderless. The King never had a son, and so there was no heir to the throne. Someone had to be found to rule in his stead until Princess Zelda was old enough to take her father's place as Queen. The armies were being assembled, the Castle Guard was on full alert, and even the battlements were being prepared in case of an attack.

Ganondorf smiled. He had predicted this would happen, and had already prepared a strategy for seizing the throne. First, however, he had to deal with the complications that had arisen unexpectedly. Link, Zelda, and their friend had to be dispatched before he could assure a safe takeover.

An organized rebellion, if it were started quickly, could topple his rule if he did not eliminate the brats. It was this objective he kept in mind as he headed for his chambers. He had work to do...

Link and Ereb were still walking up the slope toward the Castle when an alarm sounded. Trumpets blared in warning of something, and suddenly, being in the huge mass of people was like being trapped in the middle of a swarming bee hive. Link and Ereb were bumped and jostled on every side, and they were forced to move with the crowd, toward the gates.

The cause for the alarms was a small force of Bundirans, the warring tribe of evil beasts that had made camp a few miles away from Hyrule Castle, unknown to all who were inside. They had made their way to the Castle by hiding themselves in trees and shrubbery, and had at last reached the Castle, ready to attack.

The Bundirans charged up to the gate swiftly, and before the Hylian archers could be assembled, they had made it to a shallow alcove in the wall, where arrows could not hit them from the walkways. The band of warriors lit torches, and began to try to set the gate on fire.

They would have succeeded, if Sir Marcus and his Knights had not arrived at that moment.

Sir Marcus, the Knight that Link had formerly been a Squire to, had decided to leave the hunting grounds early because of rumors he had heard, and when he heard the commotion, he had gathered his Knights together and attacked. The battle was fierce but brief. Sir Marcus took the Bundirans by surprise, and slew many before they had a chance to react to the attack. The rest were trampled by the Knight's horses.

When Ganondorf had sealed himself away in his chamber, he locked the door and snatched a long staff that was leaning against the wall. His red eyes shone with anticipation, and he walked with the staff towards a small hole in the floor, concealed beneath a rug. Pulling back the rug, he thrust the long staff into the hole as deep as it would go, and a switch deep within was moved. His bed rose up, and revealed a staircase leading down into some forgotten part of the Castle.

Ganondorf descended several flights of stairs, and the farther he walked, the deeper into the great Castle's mysterious history he was treading. There were ancient looking rooms with walls covered with cobwebs and dust that lined the sides of the tunnel, and here and there were large statues of forgotten Heroes and deeds from Hyrule's bloody past.

Eventually, Ganondorf reached a massive room. It was darker inside, and mist hung in the air. Ganondorf laughed. He had spent years searching out this ancient chamber, and once he had, he had moved into the room that was the entrance. Then, he had furnished it with desks and bookcases, and filled them with his studies of languages, and more importantly, the past.

He wanted to learn the mistakes of his ancestors, so that he would be able to take over without repeating history.

Ganondorf was secretly a Gueredo, a man of a race of evil people in the desert who were known for their red eyes, their powerful military strength, and their malice and hatred towards Hyrule. They were skilled in sorcery and dark magic. The strangest thing about the Gueredos, however, was that every Dark Lord who had risen in Hyrule's past was of their race.

It was because of his ancestor's failures to take over that Ganondorf wanted to try. He wanted to prove to the pathetic Hylians that the Gueredos were more than a small tribe of desert thieves.

And that was why Ganondorf had formed a different plan than his predecessors. He first had disguised himself as a Hylian many years before to keep from arousing suspicion, and then, to access the Royal library and the histories of his ancestors, he had become a language instructor. He gained the trust of the King, and that was it. Within five years of his rise to Master of Languages, Ganondorf had begun to send secret messages to his kin in the desert, making plans and preparing for the next Knighting ceremony, when the King would be vulnerable in his Sacred Chamber.

That day had come two days ago now, and Ganondorf now only had three steps to go before he was King.

Step one: eliminate Princess Zelda, Ereb, and Link.

Sir Marcus rode through the Castle gate a hero, with the throng of people following behind. He brought his stallion to a trot, and entered the courtyard. The gates closed behind him, just after Link and Ereb managed to squeeze in. After a few moments they caught up with him.

"Sir Marcus! Sir Marcus!" Link shouted, sprinting after the now quickly moving horse.

Sir Marcus slowed, and looking behind him, smiled at the two boys running after him. He slowed his horse to a trot, and called out to them. "Link! Hello! Or should I say, _Sir_ Link!"

"Sir Marcus," Link interrupted, "The King is dead. He brought us into a Sacred Chamber, and monsters attacked while the challenges were going on. Ereb and I are the only survivors."

Sir Marcus frowned, his eyes wide with disbelief. Then, shaking his head, he said, "I feared that the rumors might be true. Now that I know for sure..." He stopped, looking at Link. "Are you speaking truth? Do you swear that you are not lying?"

Link swore, and then Sir Marcus nodded sadly, satisfied. Link had never lied to him. "Well, I suppose that we should attend the funeral. I'm sure it will begin by the time night has come. Follow me."

Link and Ereb followed Sir Marcus to the Throne Room, unaware of what was happening far below their feet.

Ganondorf sat in a golden throne far below the Castle foundations, in a glittering secret room full of treasures. He shook his head.

"Bruustow!" He called, and moments later, a snarling black Miniblin scrambled in.

It had piercing large yellow eyes, and sharp teeth and horns. Its body was black, and it smiled wickedly as it bowed to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf sighed. He hated these monsters that he hired as mercenaries, but they were necessary to his success. His thoughts were interrupted by Bruustow's high pitched squealing voice.

"What is thy bidding, Master Dragonmire?" It hissed eagerly.

Ganondorf glared at the beast. "Gather together the Miniblin that live in the Black Caves. It is time that they earned the high wages that I pay them."

Bruustow nodded, and melted into the shadows.

As the red sun began to sink behind the distant mountains, splashes of hazy orange, yellow and red color lit up the sunset. The Birds were singing their last tunes of the day, and as dusk arrived, the sky retreated to other parts of the world, leaving behind the black starry void of the night. The moon was full, and it shone brightly upon Hyrule Castle, causing its pearl colored turrets to glow.

But within the Castle, night was far less peaceful.

The King's funeral procession was beginning, and as the long line of people started to move slowly toward the gates leading to the Royal Graveyard, Zelda followed behind the casket, riding her black pony, as was tradition when a King died. Behind her followed the Nobles, and then the Knights, fully armed and armored, and then the Courtiers and Palace servants. The villagers had come from miles around to witness the sad event, and the mourners lined the streets, with a wide gap between them to provide a path for the procession.

Link and Ereb marched among the Knights, swords drawn in salute as was tradition. Link felt a single tear run down his face.

The funeral procession made its way to the Royal Graves, and there the procession halted. The casket was carried by the six Sages chosen to be the Royal Guard, and they set the casket down carefully within the Royal Tomb.

The tomb doors were shut silently, and the sacred lock sealed the entry to the tomb. When all was done, the funeral began. It centered on the King's life and deeds, and during the memoriam, even the skies seemed to mourn the loss of the King by sending down a light sprinkling rain. It clattered and splashed on the armor of the Knights, and one by one, the stars disappeared behind a veil of dark storm clouds.

The rain began to fall harder, and lightning struck far away. Thunder rumbled.

The Royal Graveyard was located atop a high hill, with no protection save for three short stone walls and a large, ornamented gate. The people of Hyrule never went there, save when they wanted to remember the Kings of old.

Because of this, no one expected the attack would come.

Suddenly, a sharp wailing, almost a sound of lament, could be heard far off, and though it was faint at first, it soon grew louder. Ganondorf looked to the east, where the noise was coming from, and smiled.

 _Right on schedule._ He thought.

A mass of black, red and blue was charging towards the Royal Graveyard, and the glint of weapons could be seen in the light of the lightning that was striking.

Bruustow had arrived with the Miniblin from the black caves.

Horns and bright eyes slowly became visible, and as the people watched in horror, the swarm began to leap and climb over the east wall of the graveyard. They squealed and shouted curses at the terrified mourners, and as Link and Ereb watched, they both realized...

Now was the time to put their training to the test.


	7. Chapter 6 - Turmoil in the Graveyards

**Chapter 6: Turmoil in the Graveyards**

The mass of hundreds of wicked armed Miniblin charged toward the Knights, who were scrambling for their bows. Link and Ereb notched arrows to the bow strings, and Sir Marcus took command. He hastily looked at the Knights, and then glaring at the attackers he made a quick calculation.

"Fire!" He shouted angrily, and for a moment, the air was full of the sound of hundreds of arrows flying. The first few ranks of Miniblin were smitten down by the barrage of arrows, and the corpses delayed the next rows by a few precious seconds.

Link had barely set the next arrow in place before he heard the command again. "Fire!" Sir Marcus shouted, and Link slipped his fingers off of the string.

His and the other Knights' hundreds of arrows streaked at the approaching Miniblin, cutting them down, but now, the army was much closer. The Miniblin regrouped hastily, and once again charged at the Knights.

"Fire!" More Miniblin were killed, but this time, the Miniblin were only ten yards away. The timing would have to be perfect for the next arrow launch to keep the Hylians alive.

Sir Marcus glared at the army, his eyes boring into their pathetic bodies. Miniblin were extremely weak alone, but in a large group, they were deadly. The Miniblin were only a few yards away now, and the Knights were anxious.

"Fire!" Sir Marcus cried, and the final mass of arrows sliced through dozens of Miniblin, many passing through and hitting even more.

Sir Marcus allowed himself a moment's smile of satisfaction. His timing had been perfect. He drew his long blade, and shouted,

"To arms! TO ARMS!"

Link and Ereb had already drawn the _Vilan_ , and as Sir Marcus was calling out this order, were already battling the Miniblin.

For Link, it seemed as if time was moving in slow motion. He saw a Miniblin leaping at him, and stepped to the left, holding his sword out to his right. The Miniblin landed and killed itself on the sword in its haste, allowing Link to swing around and strike another in the shoulder. It squealed in pain, and Link span around, chopping another in half. He looked at his stained blade, and thought _I hope I will be able to clean this filth off it._ He laughed a little, and began to feel the thrill of battle. He ran a Miniblin through, and yanking the blade out, he prepared to strike again.

As he raised his sword, he suddenly felt a searing pain stab through his leg, and angrily turned to see that a red Miniblin next to him had sliced it. Anger welled inside him, and he gave himself to the battle. He slew many more Miniblin, but not before punishing the one that had wounded him.

And then, he saw their leader.

A black Miniblin who was barking out orders.

He began to make his way across the battlefield towards it, but was stopped by another surge of Miniblin.

Ereb, meanwhile, was having trouble of his own. He was constantly finding himself surrounded, and would have to do some fancy dodging to get himself in a position to attack again. But suddenly, he was in the middle of a ring of Miniblin too numerous to dodge. He ducked one Miniblin, and as he tried to swing his sword, he twisted his ankle. Another Miniblin swung its sword, and he fell, clutching his bleeding shoulder.

The Miniblin saw opportunity, and Ereb would have probably been killed if Link had not seen what was happening. He chopped apart the Miniblin he was fighting, and slaughtered any others that got in his way. He had almost lost Ereb once, and he would not go through that again.

To the Miniblin, despite Link's age, seeing the enraged Knight terrified them almost as much as the path of corpses that he was creating. Many fled in terror, only to be slain in his quest to rescue Ereb.

He reached Ereb just in time, and destroyed many of the Miniblin that surrounded him. He didn't care about the wounds that he was receiving. He didn't give the pain a moment of his time, however terrible it felt to move. His only thoughts were of defending Ereb.

Ereb was lying on the ground unconscious when Link knelt down at his side. Tears streamed down Link's cheeks as he attempted to lift him, but he collapsed under Ereb's weight. He was too weak from his wounds to carry him. He needed help. Suddenly, another small swarm of Miniblin tore at him, and he swung his sword at them, slicing a gap through their ranks.

Bruustow sneaked behind him, and hit him with the handle of his short blade. Link sank to the ground next to Ereb, unconscious. "The Master wants these two alive." He said in his high voice, and the Miniblin, obedient to their commander, ran back into the battle.

Meanwhile, Zelda and the civilians that had attended the funeral were fleeing back to the Castle as hastily as possible. The crowd poured through the Royal Graveyard's gate, and then sprinted off in the direction of Hyrule Castle. Ganondorf was among the crowd, still feigning innocence, and decided that the time had come. Zelda must either die or be captured tonight.

Capturing her would yield more information on Link's purposes and knowledge, however. He stole a large black horse from a fleeing carpenter, and galloped to Zelda's side.

"Princess Zelda!" He cried out, wearing the most convincing look of distress that he could muster. "Princess Zelda!"

Zelda looked up, and seeing Ganondorf, reached out. He took her, and swung her onto the saddle just in front of him. He laughed wickedly, and Zelda looked at him. He smiled.

"I would be glad if you could join me on a little trip, Princess." He sneered, and laughing, he turned the horse toward the mountains, and galloped off.

Zelda, realizing Ganondorf's true intentions, cried for help, but in all the confusion, her voice was lost in the clamor of the battle. It was suddenly silenced by a savage blow from Ganondorf, and she fell unconscious.

Sir Marcus was fighting a large Miniblin when he heard moaning nearby. He somehow recognized the voice. He glared, and ran the creature through with a shout, and then looking around saw Link lying on the ground in a pile of corpses. Seeing Link's sword stuck into one, he realized that they were his kills. Link was bleeding from many wounds, and he could not move. Sir Marcus sprinted to his side, and lifted him from the mass of dead Miniblin. He yanked Link's sword out of the corpse, and quickly slipped it into Link's sheath. He carried him to a large boulder near the King's grave, and set him down there. Link was barely conscious. Sir Marcus drew his own sword again, and charged back into the battle, killing all in his path.

The battle ended only minutes later. The Knights had beaten back the assault without losing many of their numbers, and the funeral was finished briefly by the survivors. Ereb had been discovered, unconscious and bleeding. Link was carried back into the Castle by Sir Marcus.

Zelda's disappearance was not discovered for a few hours due to all the confusion. At first, only Link wondered of her whereabouts, and even then he wondered only little, between fitful slumber and horrible pain. It was not until the sun had risen high in the blue skies that an old woman inquired a guard where she was.

Link was awakened by a loud pounding on the door to his chamber, like he had been four days ago, before the nightmares of the Sacred Chamber. Sir Marcus strode into the room, an anxious look on his normally calm face.

"Link! I hoped I would find you awake. I have grave news. The Princess Zelda is missing!"

Link sat up in horror, but then sank back against his pillow because of the pain. "How...? When...?" He asked weakly, but his expression showed how worried he was despite the way his voice sounded.

"I have an idea. Only one other person has not been found." Sir Marcus said gravely.

"Who?" Link asked.

"The language instructor, Ganondorf Dragonmire."


	8. Chapter 7 - A Prophecy Unfulfilled

**Chapter 7: A Prophecy Unfulfilled**

Link's head swam as he heard those words. Ganondorf Dragonmire... But it couldn't be! Link had trusted him with his secret, and now he realized that he had been a fool to tell anyone. He cursed himself within his mind, but on the outside, he tried to remain calm.

"Do you think that Master Ganondorf kidnapped Princess Zelda?" Link stammered.

Sir Marcus nodded. "I was uneasy about him for years. Something within me knew that he was evil from the day he arrived. If you would have watched his actions as I did, you too would doubt his innocence."

"What do you mean?" Link asked anxiously.

"First of all," Sir Marcus began, "He would have strange visitors every now and then, and would spend hours in his chambers talking with them. He also seemed far too interested in the histories of the Dark Lords. My suspicions were not aroused fully, however, until both he and the Princess were missing."

Link thought for several long moments, and then an idea came to him.

"Why didn't you speak to the King about him if you suspected something, Sir Marcus?" he asked, frowning.

Sir Marcus met Link's frown with one of his own. "I did. I did over three years ago, and I convinced the King to watch him. But Ganondorf found out about it somehow, and did nothing that would seem unusual for months. The king was satisfied, and now he is dead, likely murdered by Ganondorf's actions."

Link shook his head in disbelief. He knew that everything Sir Marcus was telling him must be true, but he couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. Master Ganondorf had been nothing short of helpful to him, and had not told his tale to anyone, as far as he knew.

But then, he began to remember how strangely he had acted during Link's account of the events of the Sacred Chamber a few days before. Ganondorf had obviously become uneasy about something the moment Link had told him of the monster and the "Hero's Lineage", and all the puzzle pieces began to fit together in his mind.

Sir Marcus broke into his thoughts. "Link, Ganondorf is evil. He kidnapped Princess Zelda, and I believe that he was responsible for the attack on the Graveyard last night."

Link nodded. Even if Sir Marcus was wrong, he had to have something to start with. He tried to get out of bed, but he was far too weak and in too much pain to move. He frowned, cursing his recklessness during the battle. He could not start now, no matter how desperate the need was. At that moment, another knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." Link said weakly, hating himself.

Ereb walked in on a crutch, his wounded shoulder bound with a tight fitting bandage. Link smiled to see his friend, and Ereb returned the friendly gesture. Sir Marcus saw that nothing could be done for now, and so he left the room with a quick bow of sorts. But before he shut the door, he changed his mind for a moment. He stepped back into the room a little, and said,

"You are a battle Hero, Link. You saved three men's lives, including Ereb here. I am proud that you were once my Squire." He bowed again, this time in earnest, and strode out, leaving Link and Ereb to talk.

Ereb carefully sat on the bed next to Link, his aching ankle hanging over the side.

"Thank you Link. Thank you for saving my life. You really did, you know. I was surrounded by all those monsters, and then, you came charging up, sword swinging, and you chopped them apart before they could get to any more than just my shoulder." He chuckled, but his face was now grave. "Are you alright?" He asked, worried.

Link frowned. "Not really. I have cuts in more places than I knew I could get cut, but none of them are too horribly serious. I just bled so much from them, that now I am very weak, and it hurts to move. But none of that matters, Ereb! Zelda is missing! Ganondorf was behind everything, and he kidnapped Zelda! Something horrible could be happening to her right now, and we are both too wounded to help her!"

Ereb' eyes widened, and he became quite pale. "...Zelda? ...Is missing? Oh, no!"

Link nodded. "I just wish that there was something, anything we could do!"

Suddenly, the room became cold and the lights were put out by a wind from nowhere, and a bright light shone before them.

Link squinted at the light, and saw a familiar form.

The Ghost of the King had returned.

The King's Ghost slowly appeared within the beam of blinding light, and then the light faded, leaving nothing but his glowing transparent figure. Ereb uncovered his eyes.

"Hero." The Ghost said, in the terrible voices of the dead. "You succeeded in your mission. You have proven yourself twice now. You now must attempt to fight Ganondorf, and rescue the Princess Zelda. That is your final challenge before your trials."

"Trials?" Link muttered, not believing what he was hearing. "Mission? Challenge? What are you talking about?"

His eyes widened, now fully realizing what the Ghost King had said. "So it's true? Ganondorf really is the Dark Power you spoke of?"

"Yes, Hero. He is."

Link nodded. At least now he knew _something_ for certain.

"As I told you, Hero, you have been chosen. You are the Hero of Legend, the Hero that rises to battle evil when Hyrule's need is dire" The Ghost King said.

Ereb stared at the Ghost King, shaking his head. "Link? A Hero of Legend? Like the Heroes of Light and Shadow? Or the Hero of Dimensions?"

The Ghost King nodded his head slightly, revealing no emotion, even if he had any. "And you, Ereb, have also been chosen, but for a different purpose. Every Hero has a partner. One to aid him and to watch over him. One to keep him out of harm's way, and to show him the paths to travel. You have been chosen for this noble task."

Ereb shook his head again, but this time in wonder. "Me? A partner to a Hero? What...?"

Link closed his eyes. The Ghost King's light still shone through his eyelids, and somehow, it comforted him. He almost felt as if he really could save Zelda. Almost as if he really could save Hyrule, and stop Ganondorf's evil designs.

Almost.

But fear and doubt still gnawed at his heart, devouring his will bit by bit, seeping away his strength. He felt the pain of his wounds more than ever, and almost cried out it became so horrible. The Ghost King shook his head. The light grew brighter, and a chill breeze whistled through the chamber. Link felt his wounds healing, and as he looked at Ereb, his hurt shoulder mended instantly, leaving him as strong and agile as ever.

The Ghost King's light faded once more, and he spoke.

"There is a prophecy. A prophecy that speaks of a shadow of the Hero. A shadow that is relentless, a shadow whose power knows no bounds. A shadow created by the Dark Power. Beware, Link. Very soon, you shall meet your superior. A beast so wicked and so terrible that not even Ganondorf can truly control him. He is your match in every way, and he will soon be on the hunt."

Link nodded slowly, still amazed at the healing of his hurts, and, though still afraid, he knew that he could at least try.

The Ghost King nodded. "Very well. Remember the inscription on your swords well, Link and Ereb. Heed those words, and you will find strength. This is not our last goodbye, though I fear that time is near. Seek out the Shiekah. They are a race of warriors loyal to Hyrule, and they have great power. They shall aid you. Goodbye, Link. Goodbye, Ereb."

His voice faded, and the light melted away.

At that moment, Ganondorf reached his secret fortress, located far away in the Gueredo Desert. A harsh wasteland of dirt, sand and wind, the Gueredo Desert, home of the wicked Gueredos, was the habitat of horrible beasts, and no Hylian had set foot within five hundred leagues of the mysterious desert in over fifty years. It was for these reasons, and because it could easily be defended there, that Ganondorf had built his dark tower there. It resided on a tall cliff, overlooking the desert's western borders. It was a tall black tower, covered with innumerable battlements and turrets, surrounded by a fortress, and it was the home of Ganondorf's main armies.

Ganondorf signaled the gatekeeper, and the gates slowly slid open with a grating squeal of stone scraping against metal. Ganondorf galloped through the gates, and they shut behind him with a loud clang. Zelda, who had woken an hour before and had long given up struggling against him, and took in her surroundings.

She squeezed her eyes shut; blinking away her tears, but then began to think seriously again about trying to escape. Now that she was in this vast fortress with its tall tower, there were many places that she might be able to hide in if she managed to get away from Ganondorf's watchful eyes, and maybe if she was careful, she could leave the tower without being caught...

Maybe, just maybe.

But as she opened her eyes again, her hopes were destroyed. There were hundreds of evil looking monsters everywhere, all armed, and many of them were standing on the walls surrounding the tower. The main area of the fortress was mostly barren with few buildings or structures of any kind, so hiding would be impossible. She would be caught before she could reach the doors of the tower itself.

Ganondorf slowed the stolen horse to a trot, and headed for the tower gates. They too opened to his signal, and as they slid shut behind them as they entered the main floor, Zelda's hopes completely vanished.

Only a miracle could save her now.

Link and Ereb, meanwhile, had decided to visit Old Majora again before leaving the castle in search of the Shiekah that the Ghost King had spoken of. They walked up to the hut and knocked on the door, and the old man opened it with a smile.

Link frowned a bit. He apparently hadn't heard the terrible news yet.

Old Majora invited them into the hut warmly, and his smile beamed with pure joy. Without a word, he shut the door, and hobbled over to the chest holding Majora's Mask, gesturing for Link and Ereb to sit. They did so, and immediately, Ereb felt the shadow of doom about him. Old Majora took Majora's Mask out of its chest, and held it out proudly.

"It is finished, boys!" He exclaimed at last. "My greatest mask, at long last completed!"

He held out the mask, and Link looked at it again with wonder. It was indeed his greatest mask, now that it was completed. The frightening eyes were painted with deeper hues of orange, yellow, and black, and the mask itself was purple. The spikes on the sides had light layers of red, green and blue, and there were thin stripes of oranges and reds near the bottom. Ereb felt the doom worse than ever when he saw it.

Old Majora laughed. "I have a favor to ask you when you leave."

Link and Ereb looked at each other in shock. How did he know? They had told no one yet.

Old Majora, seeing their surprised expressions, laughed again. "Yes, yes, the King visited me for the last time. He told me to ask you to take the mask to my nephew, Mechen, when you leave. It will aid you, somehow. I don't know. He still puzzles me as much as he used to."

Link nodded. If the Ghost King had said to do it, he had to.

"Where does your nephew live, Mr. Majora?" He asked.

"He lives among the Kokiri. They are a mysterious tribe of people who dwell in the forests to the south. They have strange customs, he tells me. They each have a fairy to help them, and are afraid to leave their forest, because they say it will kill them to do so. My nephew is a strange person himself, but you will learn more about him when you meet him for yourself."

Ereb felt sick, but Link agreed, to his dismay. They said good-bye, and then they left Old Majora's hut, for what they believed to be the last time.


	9. Chapter 8 - The Travels of the Hero

**Part 2: The Journey Begins**

 **Chapter 8: The Travels of the Hero**

Link held Majora's Mask in his hands as he walked toward the Castle. Ereb walked closely behind him, frowning.

"Link, do you remember what I told you about that mask?" He asked, still feeling ill.

Link nodded slightly, still deep in thought.

"Yes, Ereb. I remember. But you have to trust me. The Ghost King told Old Majora to have us take the mask to his nephew, because it would help us. I don't know how it will, but I have to believe him."

Ereb nodded. "I suppose so, Link. I don't like it, but I will trust you."

Link nodded _. I just hope that I'm right._ he thought.

When Link and Ereb reached the Castle, they headed to Link's chambers. Link gathered clothes and equipment, while Ereb went to his own chambers and did the same. They put their things into small bags, and slung them onto their backs. Link carefully slipped Majora's Mask into his own bag, to Ereb's relief.

"I'm hungry, Link." Ereb said as they walked away from the Castle. Link nodded, his own stomach growling.

They stopped by a stall in the marketplace, and bought some bread, cheese, and two legs of meat. They ate the meat and packed the bread and cheese, and then they looked back at the Castle, for what both of them thought would be the last time.

Ereb smiled on his home, and then they headed for the gate. But when they reached there, Sir Marcus was there, fully armed, as if awaiting some command. Sir Marcus looked around, and saw Link and Ereb. He smiled.

"Link! Ereb!" He called out, and gestured to two saddled horses.

Link was puzzled, but walked over. Ereb's eyes were huge, and all color was drained from his face.

Sir Marcus dismounted, and gestured for Link and Ereb to follow him. He led them to a small alley near the gate, and smiled again, this time more seriously.

"Link, I don't understand why you are healed, or what is happening, but I had a dream last night, where the King told me to help you. He said that you are a Hero of legend. I do not understand any of this, but I swear to help you as long as I draw breath."

Link was overjoyed, and Ereb nearly laughed he was so relieved at not being alone. Sir Marcus led them back to the gates, and they mounted the spare horses. Link took one last look at the Castle, and smiled at Ereb, more relieved than he. They turned to the countryside, and with the sun on their faces and the wind blowing from the east, they galloped away.

They rode south until nightfall as Link told Sir Marcus about the Sacred Chamber, Majora's Mask and the Kokiri. When the sun sank, they made camp within a large cave they found near the southern forests. The cave was barren inside, nearly pitch black save for the dim red light of the lanterns and torches of the Knights. Strange shadows danced on the stone walls, and Sir Marcus reached into his pack, pulling out some food. They cooked meat over their campfire, and after all had eaten their fill, they lay against the cave walls and fell into deep slumber.

Ereb awoke in the middle of the night. He tried to get back to sleep, but for some reason, nothing would help. He tried to lie on his side, on his back, he stood, he sat, but no matter what, he could not sleep again. Something was not right. He felt the doom of the mask around him again, and shook his head.

"It is just a mask, Ereb." He whispered to himself, but still, nothing he did could shake away the feeling. He decided to step outside the cave for a moment. Maybe the cool air would help him relax.

He stood and walked to the mouth of the cave, and leaned against the cold stone. He almost felt tired now. He could almost fall... Fall asleep...

He awoke suddenly, his heart pounding. Something was out here. He listened intently for any sound, and for a moment, he thought it was his imagination. But then, a wolf howled out of the darkness, piercing the silence with its mournful call. Sir Marcus stirred, but then his steady breath continued. Link was exhausted, and remained sound asleep. Ereb glanced at him, his heart racing. But then, the wolf howled again. This time it sounded like it had come closer. Ereb walked back into the cave, and strapped his belt back on. He fingered the hilt of his sword, and peered out into the blackness, afraid of what he might see.

And then, the pack appeared.

Dozens of huge grey wolves came out of the dark, snarling, baring their teeth. They growled and snapped at Ereb, who drew his sword. He unslung his shield, and for a brief moment, he remembered the inscription.

 _Trust the Blade when shadows await thee, and know thy strengths, whatever they may be._

Ereb almost chuckled, despite his fear. Shadows awaited him now, alright. He ran into the cave, shouting for the Knights to awake. They woke up, and dashed to their weapons. Link reached Ereb's side, sword drawn. Sir Marcus stood beside them, wielding a large bow. He nocked an arrow to the string, and pulled back, aiming for one of the larger wolfs.

For a moment, a tense silence fell over them all.

But only for a moment.

The wolves charged at the Knights, growling and howling their anger of intruders in their territory. Sir Marcus loosed his arrow, which struck a large wolf between the eyes. Link ran at the nearest wolf, and hit it with his shield. The wolf howled in pain, and baring its teeth, leaped at Link. He raised his sword at it in defense, and it landed on top of it, killing itself on the blade. Link yanked the sword out of the wolf, and again attacked.

Ereb was using his shield to defend himself, meanwhile, and as a wolf bounded at him, he spun around as it passed, and swung his sword. The blade met the wolf's neck, and it fell to the ground with a yelp. Ereb ran to Link's side to help him fight two wolves that were attacking him.

The battle was over as soon as it began, and the wolves that had not been killed by the Knights had fled after Sir Marcus had slain their leader. They agreed to take shifts on watch, and to his dismay, Ereb was chosen for the first watch.

The rest of the night passed without incident, and Ereb finally fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, only Sir Marcus was up, eating a hunk of bread from his pack.

"Good morning, Ereb." He greeted warmly, and Ereb smiled. Link was still sleeping.

"I wonder why he is so tired." Ereb thought aloud, and Sir Marcus frowned.

"He has been through much these past days." He answered, and left it at that.

An hour later, when Link had awoken and eaten a bit, they rode south again. The forests loomed near them as they rode on, and the closer they came, the more uneasy the Knights felt. Link was the only one who was not fearful. He was surprised at this, as he was not the bravest person, in his opinion. But for some reason, the sight of the forest cheered him. He took in the scenery of Hyrule Field as he rode, not wanting to miss anything before the evils he would have to journey through.

The field itself was vast and lush, seeming endless with its tall, rolling hills and bright warm sunshine. Nothing was in sight beside the dense forest ahead and birds in the blue cloudless sky, and a light breeze whispered wordlessly through the air. Link's dirty blonde hair blew across his brow, and he felt at home, somehow.

But the placid morning could not remain that way for long. At that moment, the air filled with the distant pounding of dozens of feet. The feeling of uncertainty grew stronger within the Knights, and Link's eyes filled with fear. He peered into the distance. Something was approaching. A large group of monsters bounded at them, swords drawn, eyes bright with hatred. Link's memories flashed before his eyes. The Royal Graveyard and the attack of the Miniblin were vivid now, and as he stared at the charging mass, his eyes narrowed.

Link and Ereb's time for revenge had come.

The monsters charging at the mounted Knights were more than a rabble of mindless beasts. They were Bokoblins, far larger and more powerful than Miniblin. They were green and blue in color, and they had long snouts with sharp teeth. They had small, beady eyes, and long arms. They wielded short curved scimitars, and almost always were found in groups. Bokoblins were far more powerful than Miniblin, and far more intelligent as well. It was for these reasons, and their larger numbers that they had decided to attack the three Knights.

Link and Ereb drew the Twin Blades, and strangely, the sun shone brighter somehow. The sunlight glinted on the sharp blades, and the two warriors wielding them, along with the Shields of the Order, appeared to be Great War Lords to the Bokoblin swarm. The Knights shouted the name of their dead King to the heavens, and galloped their horses at the attackers. The Twin Blades rose in their wielder's hands, and for the next few moments, time once again seemed to move in slow motion. Link and Ereb, ahead of Sir Marcus, jabbed their stallions with their heels, and with one final shout, the two groups clashed.

Bokoblins were crushed beneath the steel of the horse's shoes, and the warriors riding them struck them with their swords. The moment ended. Link's horse's leg was struck, and as it toppled to the ground, he rolled off, barely able to keep from landing on his arm. He used the Shield of the Order to break his fall, and scrambled to his feet, with a dozen Bokoblins before him, shouting in their horrible scraping voices. Link ran one through, getting cut in the process, and as he pulled his sword out, another would have killed him right there, if Ereb had not galloped by, trampling it. The smashed corpse of the Bokoblin tripped another into the path of Link's swing, chopping it in half as Link blocked another blow.

Sir Marcus dismounted, being a better fighter on his feet than on a horse, and slashed several Bokoblins with one long swing of his mighty sword. Ereb trampled most of his opponents, defending himself with his sword when necessary.

But at that moment, disaster struck. The ground shook with the running of a huge monster approaching...

A Darknut, the leader of the Bokoblin group. The Darknut was clad in thick heavy black armor, with a black helmet. Long, curved steel horns were set into the sides of the helmet, and its face was hidden. It had a long thick red cape, and carried a massive sword. The sword was broad and sharp, with strange markings engraved into the sides. It roared fiercely, and then ran into the battle.

Ereb's eyes widened as he saw the size of the Darknut. It was nearly twice as tall as himself, and even Sir Marcus was dwarfed beside it. To his dismay, the Darknut turned at Link, who was locked into combat against several Bokoblins. The Darknut raised its blade to strike, and Link saw his life flash before his eyes...

And then, Sir Marcus sprinted at the Darknut, and leaped onto its back, clinging onto its cape. The Darknut roared again, clawing at its back, trying to get Sir Marcus off, but Sir Marcus knew that he had a job to do. No matter what happened to him, Link must be protected. He drew his sword, and nearly losing his balance in the process, he plunged the long blade into the Darknut's head. It wailed in agony, and toppled to the ground, just as Sir Marcus leaped off of its back.

The Battle was over, and the Darknut lay dead. The Bokoblins that had not been killed had fled. Link, Ereb, and Sir Marcus had survived with cuts and bruises.

That night, all was silent around the campfire. They ate in silence and the next morning they continued, with the forest before them. Within two hours, they were in the shade of the tall trees. Birds flittered about high above their heads, singing their morning songs. They walked in silence, weapons in hand, eyes keen. Suddenly, a figure darted through the trees far ahead. Link unslung his bow and notched an arrow to the string, aiming at the distant figure. Sir Marcus stopped him before he shot.

"No, Link! There may be more, and if there are, that will attract them!"

Link nodded, and eased the bowstring back.

"I don't like this," said Ereb.

"Yes, Link. Maybe we should turn back," said Sir Marcus.

Link shook his head. "We can't. Remember what Old Majora said."

Ereb nodded hesitantly, and suddenly, another figure dashed through the trees far off. It paused, as if it was looking at the Knights, and then ran off. The Knights froze, and all was silent for a few moments.

Suddenly, something approached behind them. Link whirled around, and was surprised to find himself face to face with a strange creature. It was short, and looked almost like a tiny tree with short, stubby legs. It had a huge leaf over its face.

"Welcome, Hero. We have been expecting you. I am Mido, a Korok. We were once Kokiri, but the wicked Dark Power changed us into these hideous creatures."

Link smiled. "So, you are a Kokiri? Good." He said, relieved.

"Yes, yes! We are truly Kokiri!" Mido exclaimed, jumping up and down for joy.

Ereb nearly laughed at the way Mido talked, but kept a straight face.

"We?" Link asked.

"Yes, yes! We are Kokiri, Kokiri!" Mido exclaimed with glee. "Come, Koroks! Come, Koroks! Gather! Gather! The Hero has come!"

Suddenly, dozens of Koroks appeared. They dropped from the trees, they popped out of the leaves of bushes, and they ran up all around the Knights. They danced and sang and jumped, and one took up a violin crafted of twisted reeds and wood. It struck up a merry tune, and all the Koroks joined in, singing,

 _Hurray! Hurray! The Hero is come! Be happy! Be merry! Come here, everyone! From tree, from house, from leaf, from hut! The Hero has come! Cast away your fear, your doubt, and your worry! Rejoice, Koroks! Be welcome! The Hero has come!_

The Koroks danced around the Knights, and Link laughed. The Koroks, or Kokiri, or whatever they were, were much nicer than he had pictured from Old Majora's description of a strange, hostile tribe. The Knights joined in with the Koroks, and that night, they forgot their troubles.


	10. Chapter 9 - Ereb and the Mask

**Chapter 9: Ereb and the Mask**

That night, a great feast was held in the Hero's honor. Though Link tried to bring up the subject of Old Majora's nephew several times, the conversation was swiftly changed before he could ask about the man's whereabouts.

There was food, and singing, and dancing, and games, but for some reason, Ereb did not feel like having a good time. He felt the Mask's evil surrounding him, devouring his strength. He felt weary and sick again, and he had to sleep. He dozed off in his chair during the meal, and the Koroks gave him a large (by their standards), bed of wood and straw. He slept lightly, tossing and turning.

Very late, after the moon had risen high in the black skies, dark clouds shrouded the stars behind a veil of silvery blackness, and no sounds were heard save for the deep breathing of the sleeping Knights. But someone was stirring.

A young Korok, named Makar, had seen Majora's Mask in Link's bag during the party.

When the Knights were sleeping, he sneaked into their hut, and slipped Majora's Mask out, to take a look out of curiosity. But then, seeing Ereb, he had a mischievous idea. He silently tiptoed to Ereb's cot, and carefully put the mask onto his face. Makar giggled quietly, and Ereb stirred, touching his face with his hand, and not knowing it, he pressed the mask on. In his sleep, he did not know what had happened, but his dreams shifted to a small Korok sneaking around his tent…

Makar sneaked out of the hut giggling about his prank, and after a while, he decided to go back in and put the mask back into Link's bag. He tiptoed in, and approached Ereb. He looked one last time at him before taking the mask off, but something about Ereb startled him now.

The giant, frightening eyes of the mask were glowing faintly. Something evil had happened. Makar's small heart skipped a beat, and fear filled him. Something had happened to Ereb because of the mask. Makar gathered his courage, and reached out to take it off of Ereb, but suddenly, Ereb's hand shot out, and grabbed Makar. Makar squirmed in the tight grip, and managed to slip away. Ereb rose, the eyes of the mask shining brightly now. A strange light surrounded him, changing its ghostly color every moment, and flowing through the room like calm water lapping at the shore.

Ereb walked out of the hut, and stood outside, Majora's Mask shining in the darkness. The eyes peered around, searching for something...

And then, Ereb, or Majora's Mask, or perhaps both, saw Makar. He was tearing through the brush, fleeing for his life. Ereb laughed wickedly. A strange voice laughed for him. The eyes shone like bright spotlights. The evil lights surrounding him reached out, brightening the entire area.

Somewhere in the hut, Link stirred. The horrible laughter had awoken him. He scrambled out of his cot, and snatched his sword and shield. He ran outside, and saw a strange figure glowing before him.

It was laughing evilly, in a way that reminded him of the monster in the Sacred Chamber. The figure shone like a many colored star, evil and terrifying. Link approached slowly, sword in hand. With a sudden motion, he grabbed the glowing creature's shirt, and whirled it around. Link staggered back in surprise.

"What? Ereb? The Mask! What happened?"

Before Link could finish his question, though, Ereb punched Link in the stomach with incredible strength, far beyond anything Link could have expected. Majora's Mask shone like the sun, and slowly, the light faded, and the mask disappeared, taking Ereb with it.

Link, shocked at Ereb's disappearance, could only stare at the ground. His stomach still hurt from Ereb's punch. The mask... That mask! It had done something to Ereb... And now, he was gone, again. Link shook his head. Where could he be? No places came to mind. Something had to be done. Ereb had to be saved from Majora's Mask. Link turned around, and ran into the hut.

Zelda awoke in a large, soft, comfortable bed. Her head was resting on a feather pillow, and heavy, warm blankets covered her. Surprised, she sat up and looked around, but nothing made sense to her. The last thing she had known before falling into that strange, dreamless sleep was seeing Ganondorf open the door of his tower. Everything had gone black, and now, she had awoken in a huge, beautiful bed. The blankets had intricate designs and vibrant colors sewn into them, and a pink curtain surrounded her. She could not see anything beyond it. But then, she heard a noise... Footsteps, yes that was it. She quietly lay back down, and pretended to still be sleeping.

Ganondorf walked up, and drew back the curtain. "Blast. She is still asleep." He said to himself. The sound of footsteps started again, and slowly faded as he walked away.

Only several minutes later did Zelda dare to open her eyes. Now that the curtain was drawn, she could see where she was. It was a vast stone room, with three windows allowing light inside far above. The bed she was in was against the wall, and two large red doors stood proudly within the wall across the room. That was all. She rubbed her eyes, still full of sleepiness, and for a moment, almost tried to get up. But as soon as she had set her feet onto the floor, she suddenly felt horribly tired again... So sleepy she might just lie down again and... Sleep...

Zelda lay back down, pulled the covers back over herself, and decided to take advantage of Ganondorf's kindness, even though it was probably his fault that she was so exhausted. Sleep found her again, and she saw no more.

 _Someone has put the mask on me._ The thought was alarming, and yet he knew it was true, knew it to his core. The mask had no power to move on its own.

But Ereb could move! He tried to, but to his terror, could not. And yet he _was_ moving!

He found himself in a world of darkness and terror. Something outside of his own will was commanding his movements somehow, guiding his feet to take him places he did not want to walk. He found himself staring down a deep hole, endless it seemed, with strange lights far below. He struggled against Majora's Mask's dark will, fighting its powers with all of his strength.

"No! No!" He tried to shout, but his voice was lost in the noise of the Mask's voice, screaming in his head.

 _"They cursed me... They cursed me... ASHI coMblante... They cursed me..."_ It wailed, piercing Ereb's will, torturing his mind.

Ereb stepped forward, and felt no ground. Unable to stop Majora's Mask, he found himself falling into the abyss.


	11. Chapter 10 - Three Separate Paths

**Chapter 10: Three Separate Paths**

Link awoke Sir Marcus, his face drawn with anxiety. Sir Marcus was shocked by Link's story, and together, they woke the Koroks. They grabbed their equipment, and scoured the forest, searching for any trace of Ereb. But no matter how long they looked, he was no where to be found.

No one noticed the disappearance of Makar until that afternoon.

A young Korok, wanting to talk to Makar, could not find him anywhere, and when the subject was brought up to the other Koroks, they soon realized that no one had seen him since the night before. Panic struck the tribe, and soon, everyone was once again wandering throughout the forest, shouting Makar's name, searching for him.

But Makar, the reason for Ereb's nightmare, was not in the forest anymore.

Zelda's vision slowly cleared as she came back to her senses. She looked around her, hoping the last week had been naught but a bad dream, but as she gazed about her, she knew that her hopes were folly. She was still in the large stone room, in the comfortable bed, across from the colossal red doors. The curtains were shut now, as if Ganondorf had checked on her again.

She shook her head, but refused to weep. Something had to be done. She had to try to escape, even though she would most likely fail. She slipped out of the bed, and then got an idea. She took a few of the pillows, and quickly shaped them beneath the blankets as if she still lay there... There. That would buy her some time, if very little.

She closed the curtain again, and sneaked out of the massive room as silently as she could. She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and then ran off into the maze of passages.

Majora's Mask shone brightly as Ereb tumbled into the shadows. He suddenly saw light rushing up to meet him, and landed softly on a strange, enormous flower. The Mask made him stand, and he decided to give up the struggle. It hurt him. He walked across a bizarre round room, up to a wall. The wall slid away as he approached, and he walked through the large opening. He found himself in a hallway, decorated with strange, colorful designs. He made his way through the passage, and another wall slid open.

He looked around. Nothing was there. Nothing was alive, or dead, or even in existence. There was just... Nothing. But the mask had other plans than to wander pointlessly through darkness, no, it had to do something.

And what it did, Ereb was shocked at. The mask raised him into the air, shaking, and a bright light erupted out of nowhere.

Ereb dropped to the ground painfully, and the mask forced him to stand. He would have gasped if he could...

He was in some sort of building, surrounded by gears and levers...

Link tore through the forest, frantically searching for Ereb. Tears were in his eyes and with every second that went by, he grew more and more anxious. What had happened to Ereb? Was he safe? Was he hurt? Was he frightened?

Ereb had been like a brother to Link when they had met as Squires, and ever since then, they had been fast friends. _It can't just end this way... Not like this!_ Link thought, and wiping away a tear, he stopped in his tracks.

The familiar light of the Ghost King was shining behind him...

Zelda wandered through the vast corridors of Ganondorf's tower, frightened and worried. Her heart jumped at the slightest sound, and at every turn she would hear the sound of approaching footsteps... Or was that just her imagination? She didn't know. All she knew for certain right now was that she had to escape the tower quickly.

Suddenly, she heard the approaching of many creatures.

"Perhaps I am just imagining it again." She thought for a moment, but as they came nearer, the fact was terribly clear that it was more than imagination...

She truly was being followed.

Zelda broke out into a run, turning randomly at entrances to different hallways. Surprisingly, she found that she was actually making her way towards the gate. She could see the light of the desert sun peeping through the great doorway, but as she ran toward it, a spear impacted just inches from her head, thudding into the wall next to her. She looked back.

Behind her ran dozens of Moblins: Pig like creatures that used spears in battle, and walked on two heavy hoofed legs. They shouted curses at her in their deep voices, and the Moblins nearly overtook her, but stopped in their tracks. Zelda saw opportunity knocking, and whirled around, sprinting toward the door. But just as she stepped forward, she slammed into something large and black. She stumbled backwards, falling over. She looked up, and gasped, fear in her eyes.

Ganondorf was standing in front of her. She had run into him.

"Good afternoon, Princess Zelda. I trust you slept well?" Ganondorf asked, laughing wickedly.

Link stood stiff as the light flooded the forest around him. He spun around, and saw that sure enough, there was the Ghost King. He shone as brightly as always, and no emotion showed on his glowing face.

"Hero. I had not planned on meeting with you again so soon, but I must. Ereb has fallen."

Link staggered back, unable to believe his ears. "Fallen? Do you mean he is dead?" He demanded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No, he still lives, but in a horrible way. Majora's Mask is controlling him."

"How?" Link asked, more relieved at Ereb's living than worried about Majora's Mask at the moment.

"A young Korok put it on him as a jest, but it was a jest that turned terribly wrong. That mask is cursed with black arts. It has wicked powers beyond anything that even I could predict, though I did know of its corruption."

Link clenched his fists against his fears. "You knew? You knew that it was cursed... And you still told us to deliver it for Old Majora?"

The Ghost King gave no sign. "It was your fate to take the mask with you, whether or not I had interfered. It was Ereb's path to be the mask's first victim, just as it will be his path to defeat it."

Link shook his head. "I should have listened to him... I should have known!" He shouted, and his voice echoed throughout the forest.

The Ghost King brightened. "Hero... I was cursed as well. I was cursed by the same being that cursed the mask... Never to rest until the Hero had completed his quest."

"What? You were cursed...? Who? Who did all of this? Ganondorf. Ganondorf! He must have!"

"No. This is one evil the Gueredo King did not commit. There are far more evil and more powerful things in Hyrule than merely Ganondorf. This was done by the Oracle."

"Oracle?" Link asked, confused now as much as he was infuriated.

"Yes. He was here when the first tree blossomed, and shall remain when the final sea dries up. He is the Oracle of Doom, a beast of terrible evil power. He cursed Majora's Mask from afar, and it seems that he desires for you to succeed in your quest at the same time. I do not understand his motives, though I knew of his hand in this."

"Wait... The Oracle of Doom... I know that name." Link muttered, and then remembered.

"The Oracle of Doom! Of course! There was a mural of the Hero of Light destroying him a thousand years ago! How has he returned?"

"As I told you, Hero, he will be the last to die before Hyrule fades. As for Ereb, he cannot be found in Hyrule. The mask is working its evil in another dimension, where you cannot go. For now, you must seek out the Shiekah." The Ghost King said, and then the light died out.


	12. Chapter 11 - Flight from Kokiri Forest

**Chapter 11: Flight from the Kokiri Forest**

The Forest grew calm again, and all was silent. No sound broke the peaceful atmosphere of the moment. Link shed his final tear. The Ghost King had told him that it was Ereb's path to defeat the mask. That thought eased Link's sadness a bit, though rage still burned towards the King within him. He felt angry, sad, and most of all betrayed.

He stood, and sheathed his sword. He realized that he had been gripping it ever since Ereb's disappearance.

Funny how he forgot something like that.

He started back toward the camp, but something caught his attention first. Someone, or something, was moving around in the tree limbs high above. Link squinted, trying to make out what it was, and when he did, his heart stopped within him.

A Bokoblin archer was straddling a tree limb, bow string drawn back, arrow notched onto it. It shouted in a strange tongue, and Link heard movement all around him. A dozen Bokoblins surrounded him, some with swords, some with bows, all prepared to kill him. He looked up at the Bokoblin in the tree again, and saw it loose the arrow. Link rolled at the moment the arrow began to fly, and it barely missed him. Another shout from the archer started all the others in an attack.

The Bokoblins crept toward Link, laughing and taunting him.

But Link was in no mood to be laughed at. He drew his sword again, and with a cry of hatred, anger, and revenge, leaped forward and split the nearest Bokoblin in half.

The others became somewhat afraid of Link, and the laughs and taunts ceased. Link saw opportunity knock, and ran another through. The Bokoblins attacked again with a fury, and it was all Link could do to avoid getting slashed by one of the sharp blades. One swung at him over handed, and one behind Link was jumping. Link dropped, allowing the over handed attacker to kill the jumping one. He rolled behind another before it saw him, and stabbed through its leg. It howled in pain, cursing in its foul language and shouting vile insults at Link.

Link rolled out of the way of another attacker, and scrambled up to his feet. Another Bokoblin was before him. The same one he had just stabbed.

"I don't like being called names." He growled, and swung his sword through its thin neck.

Meanwhile, Sir Marcus was near the campsite searching for Makar, when he heard the sounds of battle farther off. Looking around, he saw that Link was not there. He drew his sword, and sprinted off toward the noise.

Zelda awoke again in a cold dungeon. It was damp and disgusting, and the sound of dripping water broke the silence in an eerie, rhythmic way.

 _Drip drip drip drip_

She shivered. The last thing she had known was Ganondorf's voice, and that felt like days before. What had happened?

She tried to stand; her back was stiff and sore. _Perfect._ She thought. _And just to think that I had almost escaped._

Zelda looked around, trying to calculate her surroundings. The bars were strong and thick, and far off she could hear footsteps coming nearer, and further away. Nearer, further away.

 _So,_ she reasoned, _I'm under a tighter guard this time._

 _Drip drip drip drip_

That noise was driving her insane...

Link stared with amazement at the corpse of the Bokoblin he had just slain, but then was brought back to the present by a shout from behind. He ducked the first swing barely, receiving a cut leg from another Bokoblin next to him, and twirled his sword upside-down. Link gripped the hilt, and stabbed backwards at the first Bokoblin, skewering it on the gleaming blade.

Link gasped for some air before making another attack. He was exhausted, and every movement became harder and harder to pull off by the second.

 _It will not end this way!_ He shouted in his mind, and new vigor born of desperation rushed through his veins. He felt strength in him again, and attacked with redoubled fury.

The Bokoblins before him fled, but to no avail. They were chopped apart in Link's rage.

The mask moved his head, and Ereb looked around in amazement. The large room was unlike anything he had ever seen before. A massive structure of gears, levers, controls and wheels stood before him, moving rhythmically.

 _Whirr Tic Toc Clang Whirr Tic Toc Clang_

A long flight of winding stairs were set around the moving machinery, nearby, and the mask took him to them. He began to climb the stairs, slowly, almost in time with the moving gears.

 _Whirr Tic Toc Clang Whirr Tic Toc Clang_

At the top of the stairway, Ereb saw a huge door. Majora's Mask forced him to open it, and Ereb was surrounded by sunlight…

Sir Marcus charged through the forest, searching for Link. He followed the sounds of battle, and after a few minutes, he came across a large clearing.

Link was fighting against several large, armed Bokoblins, and corpses were strewn all over the muddy ground. He looked exhausted, and blood was smeared on his clothing, marking his wounds. Sir Marcus' wrath was kindled on Link's behalf, and he drew his mighty sword with a shout of hatred.

The Bokoblins cowered at the sight of the loath Knight, but stood their ground. Link was encouraged by Sir Marcus' arrival, and he fought back with double the determination he had moments before. The Bokoblin in the tree shot its last arrow, which fell harmlessly to the forest ground. It pulled a long knife from its sheath, and leapt out of the tree, only to be hacked to bits in the confusion.

Sir Marcus and Link battled with vast strength. Link forgot his pain for the moment, his hatred of Ganondorf's minions ruling his actions. The Bokoblins, terrified and losing their numbers swiftly were thrown into turmoil. Their carefully organized ambush had failed miserably, and now there were less of them alive then those whose blood mixed with the dirt and mud.

Three more Bokoblins were slain, and then the survivors forsook their instructions, fleeing for their lives. Link collapsed from exhaustion.

"We... We actually _did_ it!" He chuckled.

Sir Marcus was far graver, however. Link's wounds were bleeding, not to mention his own. They trudged back to the camp, and the Koroks did their best to soothe their wounds.

Ereb looked around him in sheer amazement. He was in some sort of walled town, with strange people and buildings all around. The mask shone as bright as ever, but none of the people around him seemed to notice.

But then Ereb noticed that everything these people did seemed almost… automatic. Like they were the ones trapped by the mask's power, and not he. A man hammered the same nail over and over again. A young boy playing with a dog threw a ball, which bounced in the same way every time he threw.

Even the noise was repetitive and rhythmic, just like the machinery in the building he had just exited.

Suddenly, the screaming voice of the cursed mask wailed within his mind once again.

 _"They cursed me! They cursed me! ASHI coMblante! They cursed me!"_

"What... cursed you?" Ereb moaned in his mind, his head aching horribly.

 _"Death! Doom! Curse! Death! Doom! Curse!"_ The mask chanted, filling Ereb's thoughts with images of flames and blood.

"Stop… Stop…" he moaned, feeling that he might faint from the agony.

 _"Death... Doom! Curse! Death! Doom! Curse!"_

It wailed again, and then it suddenly stopped. Ereb saw that everything was frozen in time, as if the mask's dark power had altered reality. The people stood halfway through their movements that they had been performing moments before. The air was tense.

 _"Moon."_ the mask said, almost in a whisper.

And then it laughed. The sound was horrible, shrieking its maniacal evil to the skies.

 _"Death! Doom! Curse! Moon! Death! Doom! Curse! Moon! Death! Doom! Curse! MOON!"_

It wailed, and then Ereb saw no more.


	13. Chapter 12 - An Unexpected Detour

**Chapter 12: An Unexpected Detour**

Link and Sir Marcus hastily gathered their belongings. The sun was high in the blue sky, and not a cloud veiled the light. Mido walked up to them, and presented Link with a Korok necklace.

"When friends part, our tradition is to give a small gift. Thank you, Hero."

"Yes… Thank you, Mido." Link said, not feeling much at all.

Sir Marcus appeared from his hut, stooping to exit the doorway. His face was drawn and his mood passive. The Koroks gave him a necklace as well, but he barely seemed to notice. They ate a brief, silent meal, and had begun to mount their steeds when Link remembered.

"Mido!" he called. The Korok looked up at him curiously.

"Yes, Hero?"

"There is a man in Hyrule Castle named Old Majora. I was sent here by him to find his nephew. His name is Mechen. Have you met him?"

Mido looked to his brethren nervously, as though hoping they might step in. The Koroks made no sign of helping Mido. The small creature sighed miserably.

"Dead, Hero. He is dead."

Link shook his head. _So we failed Old Majora._ He thought sadly. Out loud he asked, "How? When?"

"When the dark power transformed us, it did not affect him in the same way. He was killed instead. He is buried in the Lost Woods, among our other brethren."

Link sighed. _Will anything go right?_

"We shall continue in our search for the young Ereb, and please be on the look out for Makar!" called Mido. "You are always welcome here in our forest!"

Link nodded rather sadly, too confused at the moment to tell the Koroks about Ereb's transportation.

The two Knights left the forest in a depression of uncertainty, wishing they knew what to do next.

Zelda stirred from her slumber. Something was moving around. Something was different than it had been. The rhythmic footsteps of the guards and the awful dripping sound still continued, but something was different this time.

She stared hard into the dimness of the cold dungeon, searching for the difference. Nothing showed itself for a moment, but then she saw a shadow move.

It looked like a warrior.

It carried a sword, at least.

But no. This was something far more than a warrior, she realized. This _was_ a shadow.

An icy chill swept through her body, like a winter wind, but from the inside. Her very heart seemed to freeze with fear.

Zelda gasped as she saw the evil figure approaching her cell.

The shadow looked just like Link.

The shadow approached the cell swiftly, red eyes peering out of the darkness. As it came near, Zelda saw that it was Link's equal in girth and looks, but his clothing was black and his skin grey. His eyes were blood red, and he snarled savagely at Zelda as he reached the door. Instantly, he shot his icy hand out at her and gripped his wrist tightly.

"Where is the Hero?" He growled, the red eyes drilling into her.

"I.. I don't..." Zelda stammered, but the eyes narrowed, and he twisted her arm back, shooting searing pain all the way up to her shoulder.

She yelped with pain, but he did not release the grip for several long, agonizing moments. She gasped for breath when he did.

"Wrong answer." He hissed. "Where is he?"

Zelda's mind raced. She had been kidnapped by Ganondorf before even seeing if Link or Ereb were alive from the attack in the graveyards, and even if they had survived, she didn't know where they were now. If she lied and gave the shadow a random location far away, she risked that Link and Ereb were actually there. If she told the truth, he would not believe her, and Link would have an army searching for him...

Though when she thought about it, he probably already did.

The shadow snarled again, his eyes burning with rage. "ANSWER!"

Zelda's heart pounded, and she decided to risk it. "He is... He is in the eastern mountains." She said, trying to act as truthful and terrified as possible.

The shadow's eyes faltered for a moment, as if in indecision, and then he released her wrist.

"You die if I return without his head on a stick." He threatened, and she backed away against the cell wall, tears of fright in her eyes.

The shadow turned, and the darkness of the dungeons seemed to melt him away. Zelda collapsed into a world of tears.

Link stretched his stiff, tired muscles as he rose. The sun had not yet risen, and it was dark and cold. Sir Marcus was sitting in front of a small campfire, cooking strips of meat. He was obviously deep in thought, so Link did not disturb him.

They ate in silence, and then after hastily clearing away their campsite, they mounted their steeds, still unsure of what their next move should be. Sir Marcus mumbled something to himself, and then nodded, as if satisfied.

"We should begin our search in Kakariko Village. That is where I have been told the Shiekah dwell. It is located at the base of Death Mountain, so we have several days of traveling ahead of us. Are you ready, Link?"

Link almost laughed. Ready? No, he had never been ready. He had never suspected that he would be a Hero, or save Hyrule… Nothing like this had ever happened to his father, that was for sure.

 _My father._ Link thought, angry that his thoughts had betrayed his training of himself to forget the Moblin attack. It had been seven years ago.

He shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. "Yes, I think so." He said, answering Sir Marcus' question, and they jabbed their heels into their horses' flanks, speeding away at a gallop.

Hours passed without any conversation, and to Link it seemed that they were riding over endless plains. It was beautiful, that was true, but this new life of constant danger and turmoil was strange and alien to him. He wished he was back in his bed within the Castle, safe from these kinds of worries.

His thoughts were interrupted as a war horn bugled in the distance behind them.

"Not again." He growled under his breath, and swung his horse around, grabbing his bow and notching an arrow to the tight string. He pulled back, and waited.

Sir Marcus had already done the same, but he laid his long sword on his lap, prepared for combat from horse back. The war horn sounded again, and Link glared in its direction.

Slowly, ever so slowly, several mounted figures began to appear from the other side of the hill. As they approached, Link saw that they were all armed and prepared for a battle. Sir Marcus scanned them with his keen eyes, trying to make out whether they were friend or foe.

An arrow suddenly whizzed between them as one of the figures shot. Definitely foes.

Sir Marcus glared at the figures. He was worried. That arrow had to be shot by a being with incredible strength and a powerful bow to reach them from such a great distance. A group of attackers with that type of ability was especially dangerous, because their weapons in general were most likely of the same quality as the bow.

He pulled back on his bowstring, waiting for the perfect moment to take a shot. Link was not so patient, however. He made some quick calculations in his head, and then aimed higher, slightly more to the left, and loosed his arrow. It streaked through the sky, and barely missed the leader. Link frowned, and Sir Marcus shot his arrow as Link nocked another.

Sir Marcus' arrow struck one of the attackers square in the chest, sending it flying off of its steed. The others veered out of the way of their dead comrade, and galloped all the faster at Sir Marcus and Link.

Link was tired, angry, and sick of all the attacks. He pulled back an arrow, and glared at one of the attackers.

"Take this you filth." He growled under his breath. He slipped his fingers off of the bowstring, sending the arrow screaming through the air, smiting the monster between the eyes before passing all the way through, and stabbing another in the leg.

Link was too furious to be proud of his amazing shot, and before the monster he had killed had fallen to the ground, he drew the _Vilan_ and jabbed his horse in the flank. It whinnied and charged at a mad pace, and the closer to the beasts Link came, the more hatred he felt. He shouted the names of all the Kings he knew to the heavens, and swore that he would slay these beasts for Ereb.

Sir Marcus charged down the hill moments after Link, knowing that trying to stop him in his fury would be folly. He drew his sword, and at the moment his horse set foot on flat ground, Link lopped apart the nearest monster, receiving a cut on his arm in payment. He halted his horse next to another, and they fought each other from horse back as Sir Marcus trampled some footmen. But despite his great anger and strength, Link had trouble fighting the far larger monster. He now realized that these were Moblin horsemen, specially trained Moblins who were stronger than most of their brethren.

Link was cut several more times before he managed to chop its sword arm off, and he nearly fell from the saddle in his weakened state. His shield fell to the ground, but he had no chance to grab it again.

Three more Moblins remained, all footmen, because Sir Marcus had already slain their other mounted leader. The two Knights had little trouble trampling the Moblins into messy corpses, and then they leaned against their horses' necks, exhausted.

Another war horn blew. Sir Marcus cursed all Moblins under his breath, but then said out loud,

"We wasted our strength, Link. This was the scouting group!"

Ereb awoke in a fog, his head pounding dully. He sat up miserably, and rubbed his temples. Something was wrong, he could tell, but he couldn't figure out what it was for the life of him. He slowly stood, squinting against the bright sunlight. Looking around, he saw that he was still in the strange town, but now the townspeople were moving again, and their movements no longer seemed calculated and repetitive.

The man with the hammer had moved on to another nail, and the boy playing with the dog was now running with it, laughing.

Ereb sighed with relief. The unnatural regularity had ceased. He turned around, and saw that he had been sitting before a large tower, with a clock set into the top. It made the sound he had heard earlier.

 _Whirr Tic Toc Clang Whirr Tic Toc Clang_

It took him several long moments of standing there, the sun beating down upon him, the people going about their business, the clock ticking and tocking, before he realized.

His heart skipped a beat, and a smile broke across his face. He felt his cheeks move, and his mouth move, but he wasn't sure yet. He had to make sure.

He moved an arm.

He shook his leg.

He tentatively reached up to touch his face, where the mask had been for so long.

He felt nothing but his own skin.

"Wahoo!" he cried.

The townspeople paused in their activities a moment, to see what was happening. They saw nothing truly strange, just a teenager laughing and cheering about something. They resumed what they had been doing, unaware of what had happened.

Ereb laughed some more, dancing a little jig.

He was free.

The war horn sounded again, and Link and Sir Marcus took off at the fastest speed their horses could take them. They were not strong enough to fight an army, especially in their weakened state. They galloped madly across the field, not caring at the moment where their horses took them. The monsters followed them, all riding massive boar-like steeds. They gained on the Knights slightly with each minute that passed, and Sir Marcus realized that they would have to change their course if they were to escape.

"Link! Turn left!" He shouted, and they began riding east. The monsters continued to pursue them, but their mounts were tiring, and were not as fast as the Knights' horses.

Sir Marcus glanced behind them. "Good! It is as I had hoped; their mounts are only swift in short bursts. The long chase is wearing them out!"

Link nodded grimly, hating himself for losing the Shield of the Order, and they kept a steady pace for several hours, until the attackers were a faint memory.

It was nightfall before they realized where the chase had taken them. They had veered miles away from their course, heading toward Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain. Sir Marcus was worried. The roads would be watched. He decided that the best way to reach Death Mountain now would be to explain their situation to King Zora, and then try their best to get to Death Mountain from Lake Hylia.

Link agreed, and the next day they rode further east, to the river. They forded it with little delay, and soon found themselves at the brink of Zora's River.


	14. Chapter 13 - Battle for Zora's Domain

**Part 3: And Were the Moon as Bright**

 **Chapter 13: Battle for Zora's Domain**

Meanwhile, Ganondorf was in his Tower, brooding over the news he had just received. All of the attacks sent against the Hero so far had failed, for reasons that Ganondorf could not explain. Scouts had reported that Link was traveling with another warrior, though who this warrior was had not yet been discovered. He sighed, wishing that he could eliminate the brat himself right now.

But at the moment, this dream was not to be. Ganondorf rose from his chair, and mounted his horse. He galloped out of his tower, and headed west, toward his armies near Zora's Domain.

The attack on Zora's Domain had been delayed until his arrival, because he wanted to eliminate the water dwellers himself...

Link and Sir Marcus walked up a long, winding dirt path along the river. All was peaceful here; the calm water bubbled and flowed over the riverbed, filling the air with the dim sound of running water. Small fish swam about just beneath the surface, their silvery scales reflecting off of the sun's warm rays. Every now and then Link saw an Ocktorock slithering its way across the river's floor.

They made their way toward the source of the river, Zora's Domain. The path split into three separate bridge-like formations that rose in the air. Sir Marcus led Link up the southern most slopes, and they soon found themselves before a massive roaring waterfall. A stone pedestal rested in front of them in the middle of the slope, with strange runes carved into it in a flowing, graceful script.

Link could not read the runes, but Sir Marcus simply gestured for him to remain silent. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and then whistled three beautiful notes to the falls. One low, one high, and then another low. He whistled the tune again.

Link was enchanted by the mysterious tune. It was strange and wonderful, and yet... He felt as if somewhere, long ago, he had once heard them. The song felt magical in a way...

"Now you." Sir Marcus said gently, stopping Link's train of thoughts for the moment.

He nodded, and whistled the same tune.

Suddenly, the waterfall seemed to split in two... revealing a dark path into the hill side.

Sir Marcus smiled as he gazed into the long tunnel.

"Come, Link!" He said, and leaped across the narrow trench separating the slope from the tunnel.

Link jumped across with somewhat more difficulty, and then they ventured into the long dark of the path. But the darkness in the hidden tunnel was not frightening like the Sacred Chamber's darkness had been. It was a sort of soothing, peaceful darkness that quieted the nerves and soothed the mind. Link was happy to walk through it, free of much thought, his mind focused on simply moving further forward and inward.

Presently, they saw a distant light before them, and Link felt excitement rise within him. They stepped out of the tunnel and found themselves in a vast cavern.

A wide and deep pool of glittering crystal water occupied the lower area, and a narrow waterfall poured into the pool from some unseen chamber high above. Dozens of passageways led to other areas of the colossal cavern. To their right were several rocky ledges carved into paths leading to different areas of the vast cavern, and lit torches dotted the area. But the light of the chamber did not come from the flickering flames of the torches.

Most of the light came from a few narrow windows in the roof of the cavern, like skylights that sent warm light down into Zora's Domain. The light reflecting off of the water gave the cavern a bluish tinge. It took Link several minutes to notice the Zoras themselves.

There were scores of them in this room alone, swimming gracefully through the pool and walking, no, he realized, walking wasn't the right word. They _glided_ over the ground, every step they took like a flowing movement in some long practiced dance.

They were tall and graceful, fishlike, with a lordly air about them, but they were not pompous or cruel. They were a kind and helpful race. The Zoras were a bluish white in color, and long fins grew from their forearms. Their eyes were a deep black, and their heads ended in long fins that drooped gracefully over their backs. Their feet were webbed, perfect for living in the water that they loved so much.

Sir Marcus frowned about something, but Link did not notice. His attention was on a Zora that glided up to them, a smile on his face.

"Welcome, welcome!" He greeted them warmly. His voice was gentle but rich. "You must be the Knight, Sir Marcus."

Sir Marcus nodded, his frown gone. "Yes, I am he. And this is…"

"The Hero." The Zora interrupted. "You have come, even as the Ghost said you would. We are in terrible danger, though appearances may disguise it."

"The Ghost of the King?" Link demanded, his eyes wide with shock. "But how?"

The Zora bowed. "All will soon be set right in your mind and your questions shall be answered, when the Ghost King speaks with you. That is the message that he gave to King Zora for you."

Link clenched his fists, but checked his anger. The Ghost King would talk to him later, and Link would wait for it.

"King Zora?" Sir Marcus asked. "I never knew that the Zoras had a King."

"Yes, yes," The Zora said, smiling. "We keep that secret from those with curious minds. The King wishes it that way."

Link was about to ask another question, but the Zora then said, "I will lead you to the King." And then he began to move away.

Sir Marcus shrugged, and they followed the Zora up one of the rocky paths.

The Zora led them up a long flight of stairs, and soon they entered the throne room. Link gasped; this was far from what he had pictured. The throne room was nothing like the throne room in Hyrule Castle.

Link found himself in a large room carved from the stone of the cavern walls. A small waterfall flowed from a short ledge, and poured itself into a shallow pool of water that took up the center of the room. Another path ran off to the right leading up to the ledge, and a large stone platform stood before it.

But what surprised Link the most about this Zora throne room was the King himself.

He did not look much like a Zora; in fact he appeared to be more like a huge fish. He was enormously fat, white and grey with blue blotches, and a long red robe was draped over his shoulders. He had short, stubby legs, and wore a heavy golden crown ornamented with sapphires and other jewels. He nodded to the Knights as they entered the room.

"Welcome, Hero." King Zora said in a deep, booming voice.

Sir Marcus and Link bowed, and the King nodded, pleased.

"Hail, King of the Zoras." Sir Marcus greeted him, and the King nodded again.

"Sir Knight, I believe that we have met before." King Zora said, a puzzled expression on his pudgy face.

Sir Marcus became suddenly flustered and uneasy, and quickly replied, "No...No, King Zora, I have... never been in the Zora's Domain."

The King sighed, and nodded wearily. Link glanced at Sir Marcus questioningly, but the cold look he received silenced his questions within his throat.

King Zora raised his scepter. "Hero... I fear that the Zoras may not be able to aid you for the time being. The sentries posted throughout the river and Lake Hylia have reported that a large army is massing near my kingdom... I feel that war is brewing against me. The monsters have attacked before, but never in so great numbers nor so well armed. We must attend to this menace before we can help you."

"Monsters? An army?" Link asked, bewildered. "Do you know who leads them?"

"Not yet, but we have clues. Perhaps you could help us." King Zora said. "We know that their leader has come from the desert, and is rumored to be a Gueredo."

Sir Marcus suddenly gasped, and all attention went to him.

"I believe that I know who this man is." He said, and the King nodded, eager for the news.

"His name is Ganondorf."

An hour later, Link and Sir Marcus sat in a small alcove dug into the rock in a secluded area of Zora's Domain. They were silent; too many thoughts filled their minds to speak right now.

After Sir Marcus had told King Zora who the Gueredo leading the armies was, King Zora had suddenly grown afraid, and for several long minutes they had spoken together too quietly for Link to hear. It frustrated him that Sir Marcus did not want him to hear what they were speaking of, but then he decided to ignore it.

After all he had been through, he figured it was almost nice to be ignorant of something for once.

After a time, Sir Marcus cleared his throat. Link looked over at him, stretching his stiff back.

"Link... There are many things I must tell you. Many things you need to know. But I cannot tell you everything now, so listen to what I _can_ say at the moment, and trust me."

Link, a little confused by Sir Marcus' strange behavior, sat up, and listened intently.

"The army that is coming to attack Zora's Domain... is lead by Ganondorf, as you heard. I actually knew of the army, but I was at a loss for where they might strike first. That is why I wanted to hurry for Kakariko Village, so that we might be able to visit the Shiekah before they struck. I failed, and I apologize."

Link shook his head and was about to speak, but Sir Marcus held up his hand in protest. "Please... I have more that I must tell you." He said. He sounded strangely weary and afraid, which confused Link even more.

In all the years he had known Sir Marcus, he had never once seen him like this... So vague, so weak and so mysterious. It concerned Link.

Sir Marcus closed his eyes, and continued. "The army will be arriving soon... very soon. I do not know how long the Zoras can hold them off. We may die here, Link. This may be the end of the road... But I swore to protect you. I will die before you fall. I swore this to you when we left the castle, and now I swear it to you again. We are going against numbers far greater than our own, and most likely far better equipped. Do not be afraid."

Link nodded, and Sir Marcus closed his eyes again.

"I must rest. I cannot fight exhausted. You should do the same, but keep your sword and bow at the ready. King Zora told me that the Zoras have weapons and armor of their own, and they will alert us when the attackers arrive."

Link nodded, noticing that his own weariness was taking its toll. He drew his sword and set it on the ground next to him, and just before he slipped into dreams, he whispered

"I wish Ereb were here..."

"ATTACK! ATTACK! THE ENEMY HAS ARRIVED! TO ARMS! TO ARMS!" A Zora cried, rushing through Zora's Domain, bringing with him the news of battle.

Link awoke with a start, and his hand instinctively flew to his sword's hilt. Sir Marcus was already up, binding his sword belt around his waist.

"Well... This is it." Link muttered, and stood. He was scared, angry, and his want of revenge on Ganondorf fueled his drive. He strapped on his weapons, and snatched his bow.

He walked out of the alcove, with Sir Marcus behind him. They headed for the throne room, where King Zora was strapping on his royal, glittering armor. It was gold and shining, and his girth made him look like the great Zora warriors of old. He clutched a long spear ornamented with silver trim, and he nodded gravely as he saw Link and Sir Marcus approach.

"I would greet you if these times had not turned so dark." He began. "I am afraid that my army is small, and I have lack of strong warriors to lead my soldiers. I need you to split up for a while, so that each of you may lead a sect of my army."

Sir Marcus nodded, regret in his eyes. Link was too angry to care whether or not he was with Sir Marcus, as long as he was able to kill.

The next few minutes were spent with the organization of the army. The Zoras had not been idle while Link and Sir Marcus slept, and had spent the time sealing entrances to Zora's Domain, and setting up battlements.

The Zoras protected themselves with special armor that covered their long fins, and they carried long, thin blades.

Link was put in command of a group of fifty Zora soldiers, and Sir Marcus was given control of another fifty. King Zora took charge of one hundred. The rest of the Zora army was led by a Zora General named Haelberg. All told, the defending army numbered slightly over three hundreds. The four groups were positioned around the main entrance, and then all went silent. Eerily, not even the water made a noise. All was tense, prepared for the battle.

All faced the dark tunnel that was the only way to enter Zora's Domain. Link did not like the looks of it from the inside. It was like a deep pit, a pit that he might fall into.

He could hear King Zora nearby, talking to Sir Marcus.

"He knows the secret song?" the Zora was asking, a note of fear in his deep voice.

"Yes. He was the instructor of languages. He had access to many books, filled with Hyrule's secrets. He knows the song." Sir Marcus answered.

A small group of the Zoras took bows and made their way up one of the stone paths to a better firing position.

Sir Marcus drew his sword. He could hear something far away, beyond the tunnel.

A sound, a strange sound.

A thousand voices raised in bloodlust.

The sound rose in volume and intensity, until it became a deafening roar. Link clamped his hands over his ears against the noise, almost dropping to his knees in pain.

The noise suddenly stopped. There were several long moments of silence, and then came the secret song. Sweet and beautiful, it mocked the defenders with its secret magic.

The song was not whistled, as it had been when Link and Sir Marcus had entered. It was played upon an ocarina. And yet, even though it was the same song, there was a change to it. It sounded foreboding and evil now. A dark prophesy of the future: all beautiful things befouled by Ganondorf's wickedness.

Link watched the tunnel with apprehension now. It was time.

Suddenly, a rain of arrows streaked out of the tunnel from the outside at the Zora army. They used their armor and shields to avoid injury, but three Zoras fell nonetheless. The growling and roaring of monsters was audible just outside of the cavern, and Link could almost see glowing red eyes peering out of the shadows of the tunnel at him.

And then, the monsters entered Zora's Domain.

The monsters poured into Zora's Domain, overwhelming the defenders. Bokoblins, Moblins, Miniblin attacked with merciless ferocity, screaming wicked battle cries, brandishing powerful weapons, they charged in, eyes glittering with malice.

Link and his battalion of Zora soldiers fired arrows from the rear of the main army, slaughtering the front rows of monsters. Sir Marcus and his group fought hand to hand against the enemy soldiers who got close, and King Zora and his forces dispatched the enemy through ambush and deception.

The enemy army suffered vast losses, but despite their efforts, the Zora army was beginning to lose troops as well. The flow of enemy soldiers seemed to never end, and for every monster killed, two more took its place in the battle.

Link and his soldiers launched one last barrage of arrows, and drew their blades. Ganondorf's army surged forward, and the two masses met head on. Link slew many of the attackers, but soon the sheer numbers of the enemy army became terribly apparent. Several Zoras fell with each new wave of soldiers, and the Zora army began to weaken.

King Zora, despite his girth, was quite swift and strong, and many monsters fell to his mighty spear. Sir Marcus hewed dozens of monsters tirelessly, but no matter how many were killed, the beasts just kept coming out of the tunnel.

Suddenly, Link heard a cry for help. He hastily shouted instructions to his troops, and then ran off in the direction of King Zora's battalion. King Zora was surrounded by Bokoblins, and they had positioned themselves so that the other Zoras could not reach him. Link sneaked around, and crept up one of the rock paths. The din of the battle was deafening. Metal clashed against metal. Battle cries filled the air. The final wails of the dying rang out above the clamor. Zora's Domain was in turmoil.

Link looked around hastily for King Zora, and saw that, to Link's satisfaction, he had managed to reach the alcove where he and Sir Marcus had slept the night before.

Using the alcove walls as shelter, he strung his bow and began firing arrows down at the Bokoblins surrounding King Zora, killing many. The King saw Link's plan, and attacked with renewed vigor. He slew the monsters surrounding him, and shouted a brief thanks to Link before running back out into the confusion of the battle.

Link scrambled down the path, and rejoined his group just as the next wave of monsters attacked. He and the Zoras were fierce fighters, however, and Link's anger at Ganondorf fueled his abilities. The enemy soldiers fell back in dismay, and Link used the sudden opening to lead his battalion in a charge closer to the center of the battle. Monsters fell all about him, and Link began to think that they might actually win.

And then, at that precise moment, Ganondorf Dragonmire appeared within the tunnel, wielding two long, broad swords.


	15. Chapter 14 - Do or Die

**Chapter 14: Do or Die**

Ereb's head was still aching, and he felt weak. He walked back into the giant clock tower he had left earlier, hoping to find a way back home the way he had come. The cool air of the indoors was soothing, and the sounds of the mechanized clock were no more menacing. In fact, in a way, they were almost comforting after the long darkness of Majora's Mask.

Ereb shuddered, thankful that he would never have to see the mask again.

 _I hope so, at least._ He thought, and began his search.

He made his way down the stairs, and walked to the wall that had slid open for the mask. He knocked hard on it, hoping to hear the hollowness of the tunnel beyond, but to his dismay, the wood was solid. Nothing was beyond it.

He sighed, and similarly tested all of the other walls slowly, one at a time. But no matter where he knocked, the result was the same: there was no secret tunnel to be found.

 _Maybe I'm going about this wrongly._ Ereb thought, dropping to the floor. He sat there thinking for several minutes, but nothing came to mind. Discouraged, he went back up the stairs and left the clock tower.

Once outside, he decided to explore the town. It was large, with a tall wall surrounding it. There were gates at each of the four walls, and each one opened to a road. Within the town, all was hustle and bustle, with everyone making their way from store to store, or back home, or somewhere else. People stood in the streets, laughing and chattering.

A fat old man sold fresh bread, which reminded Ereb that he had not eaten since the feast in the Kokiri Forest, and he had not eaten much then. He bought a small loaf, munching on it as he explored.

It was a few hours past noon when someone screamed in fear.

A young woman was staring at the sky, screaming and pointing madly.

"The moon! The moon! Look at the Moon!" she wailed.

A crowd of people soon gathered around her, staring at the skies with looks of terror on their faces. Ereb joined them, and looked up as well.

His loaf fell from his hands into the dirt.

The moon was out. It being only early in the afternoon this was unusual enough, but it was not the early hour that had so terrified the townspeople.

It was enormous.

The moon was hovering ominously over the town, massive and, bit by bit, coming closer.

But even this was not the terror.

The moon had a face.

An evil, smiling face with wide eyes.

Large, round, yellow eyes.

Eyes that reminded Ereb of two other eyes, two wicked, cursed, hideously carved eyes.

The eyes of Majora's Mask.

And then he remembered the mask's awful words, chanting in his mind, driving painfully into his skull.

"Death! Doom! Curse!"

"MOON!"

Sir Marcus saw him first, a dark warrior with flaming orange and red hair. He tore his blade out of the lifeless body of a Bokoblin, sprinting at the traitor. Ganondorf was watching over the battle with a look of satisfaction that filled the Knight with hatred. He swatted aside his attackers like flies, his lone desire to avenge the King.

Haelberg, the Zora General, was caught between two squads of Miniblin, fighting for his life. The Miniblin swarmed around him, cutting off all possibilities of escape. Haelberg called for his troops, but they were elsewhere, battling furiously.

He was about to give up hope when an arrow caught one of the Miniblin in the side of the head. He spun around, slashing his blade at the Miniblin in wide, sweeping arcs. Another arrow took out a second Miniblin, and a well fired third shot passed through two.

Haelberg dispatched the remainder of his assailants quickly, and glanced up at the archer who had saved him. To his surprise it was no Zora, but the boy called the Hero. Haelberg shouted thanks to Link, and then charged back into battle, cutting swathes in the enemy.

Link nodded to Haelberg briefly, nocking another arrow to his bowstring. Searching for a target, he saw Sir Marcus running recklessly through the fray, paying little attention to the enemy. Link watched him for a few wondering moments, and then saw what, or rather who, his former master was running at.

He nodded grimly, pulling back on the bowstring and taking aim.

If anyone killed the traitor, he wanted to be the one to do it…

Sir Marcus' rage carried him deeper and deeper into the battle, closer and closer to Ganondorf. Still, the Gueredo had not noticed him. Sir Marcus ran along the cavern walls, ducking into a narrow crevice to avoid being seen. Ganondorf did not even look in his direction, his eyes fixed instead on King Zora and his troops.

The time was ripe, and Sir Marcus took his chance…

Link saw Sir Marcus dive out of his hiding place, landing nimbly a few yards from Ganondorf. He sighed, loosing his arrow.

Sir Marcus saw it flying, a silver tipped streak of deadly power that sped through the air at Ganondorf. He stepped back a pace, waiting for the impact to snuff out the traitor once and for all…

In a whirl of impossibly fast motion, Ganondorf whipped up both swords, deflecting the arrow as it reached him. Sir Marcus gasped.

The evil warrior laughed merrily, as though what had just happened was an old joke.

"Really, Marcus, that was quite a show between the two of you!" he chuckled, still watching King Zora. "An excellent display, and I would have paid to see it again. Bravo."

Sir Marcus raised his sword, dropping into a fighting stance. He eyed Ganondorf warily. He had never seen anyone move so quickly.

"But really, Marcus," Ganondorf continued, "I should think you would have been more stealthy. Charging in like you did, how could I help but notice you?"

"You murdered the King. You murdered the Knights. You betrayed us!" Sir Marcus shouted, rage burning within him.

"Ah, yes. Always straight to business with you, isn't it?" Ganondorf sneered. "Well, I suppose that is how it should be. And now what? We fight to the death? You prove that loyalty always triumphs over the traitor? Good over Evil?"

Marcus smiled. "No, we prove that I am better with a blade."

He lunged at Ganondorf, who dodged out of the sword's path, swinging his two swords at the Knight. Sir Marcus threw up his shield, blocking the blows. His arm was jarred by the strength of the attack.

Another arrow streaked down at Ganondorf, who did not even look to block it. While parrying with one sword, he snapped the other into the arrow's path, the impact of the block filling the air with a sharp ring of steel.

Sir Marcus ducked a swipe to his head, ramming his shield into Ganondorf's side. The Gueredo warlord staggered back a few paces, jaw set, eyes blazing.

"You cannot defeat me! It is prophesied! I will be victorious!" he screamed, leaping at Sir Marcus. The powerful Knight side stepped the attack, spinning around and swinging at Ganondorf's unprotected back.

Ganondorf whipped a sword behind his head, blocking the attack before it had even reached him. Sir Marcus' eyes widened. Another bout of laughter sounded from the traitor.

Their battle wound all over the ledge. Each warrior was powerful, each deadly, but neither more than the other. Ganondorf saw this, and decided to try a new tact.

Throwing caution to the wind, the traitor backed away from Sir Marcus, sheathed his swords, and, dodging a swipe from the Knight, charged at him.

The sudden attack caught Sir Marcus off guard. He tried to sidestep Ganondorf's charge, but not quickly enough. The warlord struck him with tremendous force, carrying both of them into the shallows of the pool below.

Their landing sent a huge shower of water over everyone nearby. Ganondorf spat water from his mouth, slowly rising, his robes dripping. He had landed on top of Sir Marcus, and the impact had driven the breath from the Knight's lungs. Ganondorf saw his opportunity. Drawing his swords again, he swung at the Knight, aiming to kill.

But the Knight had had enough. Lungs burning with titanic effort, he rolled to the side and stood. Dodging and weaving, he snatched up his sword, and fought for his life.

Their blades clashed together. Ganondorf began to spin around into an attacking sweep, but Sir Marcus was faster. He threw his sword at the warlord's back, smiling grimly as it flew and struck Ganondorf with a sickening squelch.

But then his smile faded.

The sword did not stop moving.

It passed through Ganondorf's body as though he was a shadow.

The sword's blade dropped harmlessly to the ground, clattering as it landed.

The clamor of the battle seemed to have lessened in the shock of the moment; all was quiet to Sir Marcus. He gasped.

"Impossible." He whispered in dismay.

"Improbable." Corrected Ganondorf, spinning around and plunging his blades into the Knight's stomach.

Sir Marcus dropped into the cold water in a heap.

"NOOO!"

A scream tore from Link's lips. He ripped the _Vilan_ from its sheath, leaping down from the alcove into the fray. Sir Marcus was the closest thing he had had to a father for seven years, and he would not lose him.

He had already lost two of his friends, he would not lose a third.

Zelda heard him before she saw him. A quick stepping individual was moving swiftly towards her cell. She backed against the wall, grasping her hurt arm, hoping against hope that this was not the Dark Shadow of Link, here to kill her.

She gasped when she did see what was coming towards her cell.

It was a small, bizarre creature like a tiny tree with stumpy arms and legs. It wore a large leaf, like a mask, over its face, and leaped excitedly up and down when it saw her. It spoke in a high, reedy voice.

"Are you the princess?" it asked, tilting its body questioningly.

Zelda nodded warily. The creature squealed happily.

"Shhh!" said Zelda, clamping her hands over her mouth. The creature stifled its cheers quickly, being very still.

"Now, who are you?" Zelda whispered.

"I am a Korok." Said the creature. "I was sent by the pale one to rescue you!"

"The pale one? Who are you?"

"My name is Makar," said Makar, "and the Ghost King sent me."


	16. Chapter 15 - Alone Again

**Chapter 15: Alone Again**

Link dropped to the cavern floor, blade slashing at anything foolish enough to get in his way. The enemy fell like rag dolls before his onslaught. Death followed his wake like the rising tide. Zoras cheered his prowess, shouting thanks as he saved them from their attackers, but he did not hear. All he heard was Sir Marcus' words in his mind.

 _We may die here, Link. This may be the end of the road... But I swore to protect you. I will die before you fall._

Link's eyes were fixed upon Ganondorf, an evil cloaked murderer who had ruined all he had ever known.

His friends, his mentor, and his country had been destroyed by this beast.

Now it was the traitor's turn to fall.

"Ganondorf!" He shouted, his voice thick with hatred, deep with sorrow, and hoarse with use.

But the traitor did not look at him. He stared at the dying Sir Marcus, laughing, swords poised to behead the Knight.

Sir Marcus looked at Link weakly, pleadingly.

The blades fell, flying towards Sir Marcus' neck.

 _Trust the Blade when shadows await thee, and know thy strengths, whatever they may be._

Link hurled the _Vilan_ at Ganondorf with a scream of rage.

The blade sparkled as it flew, spinning like a disk as it struck Ganondorf's swords. They fell to the ground with a crash of steel on stone.

Cursing Link in the foul tongue of Gueredos, Ganondorf wheeled at Link, raising his hands at the Hero.

"You are too late, Hero! Too late to save the Princess, too late to save Marcus! Just as you were too late to save the King! You have failed all of them now! Failed!"

The traitor laughed maniacally as shadows surrounded him, whisking him away. Link dropped to his knees, tears in his eyes. He crawled to Sir Marcus' side, his breath taken in shuddering gasps.

"You fought like a hero, Sir Marcus." He said, meeting the Knight's intense gaze. Even in death, the tall man's eyes still shone with a flame of power.

"I had so much I needed to tell you…" Sir Marcus whispered.

Link could not speak. Tears poured down his face.

"You are a son to me, Link. Loyal and brave…" the Knight coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. He lay still a few moments before speaking again.

"Stop Ganondorf, Link. Defeat him… Hyrule will fall without you… All good things twisted, all light cast into darkness. You must stop him."

Link nodded miserably, a hard lump in his throat. Sir Marcus reached for his blade, and Link gave it to him, folding the warrior's arms over his breastplate. The warrior smiled for the last time. A smile of pride, of strength, of victory.

"Goodbye, Link… Goodbye… Hero."

One last breath slipped from the warrior's lips.

Sir Marcus was gone.

Link forced himself to stand and turn away.

He looked at the calamity before him. Zoras and Ganondorf's beasts, light and darkness, water and fire, good and evil fought around him.

Link wiped away his tears. There was still a battle to fight, and this time, he was alone.

Again.

And then, a last reserve of strength broke through a dam within him. A final will awoke. He picked up the _Vilan_.

He was upon the enemy before they saw him. None survived his onslaught.

Bokoblins fell. Miniblin flew. Darknuts toppled before him.

For Ganondorf's army, death's color was green.


	17. Chapter 16 - The Clock and the Korok

**Chapter 16: The Clock and the Korok**

Ereb gaped in horror at the moon. If he watched it closely, he thought he could see it moving slowly closer to the town, inch by inch bringing doom a bit closer. He ran back into the clock tower, this time taking a flight of steps up to the top of the tower.

He emerged on a large balcony on the roof.

He gasped.

Majora's Mask hovered above him, shaking and glowing. It was chanting, "MOON! MOON! MOON! MOON!"

Ereb looked about him frantically, desperate to find something, anything, he could use as a weapon.

A small object sparkled in a corner of the balcony. He ran to it.

It was an ocarina.

Feeling strange, he picked it up and played, trying to drown out Majora's Mask.

He played the first song that came to mind, an ancient tune that his mother had hummed to him each night when he was young.

Time froze.

Majora's Mask was perfectly still, the glowing waves of color paralyzed where they were. The moon had stopped moving, and hung in the sky.

Ereb felt as though he was spinning. Spinning so fast that he could not see his surroundings; so fast that even his thoughts were a whirling blur.

Darkness came to him, and he screamed…

Zelda and Makar hurried through the maze of Ganondorf's tower, hiding whenever and wherever they could and always on the lookout for guards. But strangely, the tower seemed empty and deserted.

"How much farther?" asked Zelda. She had not come this way in her previous escape attempt.

"Not far." Makar said quietly. "The oasis is near."

"Oasis?" asked Zelda, confused. "Within the tower?"

The Korok made no reply, but quickened his pace to a steady jog, which accelerated Zelda to a comfortable walk. They took a few more turns and reached a long hall. The hall was empty save for a door at the very end. Makar gestured to it, jumping up and down excitedly.

"There! He told me to go there!"

"Who?"

"The Ghost King! The Ghost King!" the Korok began squealing excitedly.

Zelda sighed. She had forgotten about the "Ghost King" who had supposedly led Makar to her. _What is he talking about?_ She wondered.

Makar was racing down the hall as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He tripped and fell.

For some reason, this seemed hilarious to Zelda. The fall reminded her of one time when Link had done the same thing, bruising an arm in the process. But the way he had fallen had been so funny that-

 _Ghost King!_ She realized. Thinking of Link had reminded her of their conversation-

 _Father!_

She tore down the hall, passing Makar, running to the door. Maybe, just maybe…

She pulled the door open, and was blinded by a fierce pale light…

The clouds were beautiful. Intricate colossal formations of flying white puffs, sailing across an endless blue sea of the skies. But wait. Were those clocks falling from them, striking the ground like rain? And was the ground turning into a face?

Yes!

It was the face of an evil creature, dark and twisted, ancient and vile. Its eyes snapped open, and they burned him, burned him like flames…

And now it was freezing atop a rain swept mountain.

So cold…

Ereb's vision passed. He was lying flat on the ground.

Or was it ground?

He didn't know for sure, but he didn't dare open his eyes to find out. He felt so… so weak and achy.

He chanced a look.

He was back inside the clock tower, lying on the wooden boards. The familiar noise greeted him.

 _Whirr Tic Toc Clang Whirr Tic Toc Clang_

He sat up. To his shock, a searing blast of pain erupted in his back, protesting against his movement. He barely kept himself sitting up. The pain passed in a few moments, but his breath was rapid and deep. He felt cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Ereb looked around him, feeling strangely surprised. Hadn't he been on the roof?

He tried to remember. It took him several long minutes to sort through what had been reality and what had been in the vision. Then he remembered.

He had been on the roof, and the moon had been crashing down, and Majora's Mask was chanting… and then he found the ocarina…

 _The ocarina._

What had an ocarina, an instrument, been doing on the roof of a clock tower? What had happened after he played the song?

And then another thought took his mind.

 _Why aren't I dead?_

The question was so odd sounding in the confines of his mind that he almost shook it away, but then he realized.

 _Yes, I_ should _be dead. But why am I alive? If the moon had crashed, I would be gone, not to mention the clock tower._

He shook his head. The first thing to do was get out of the tower. He stood, wincing in anticipation of the pain that would surely come.

But no pain came this time.

He shook his head wonderingly.

Turning around, he saw that he had somehow appeared next to the door. He pushed it open, and stepped out into a dark night.

He moved warily, casting furtive glances about him.

Another startling thought took him, and he looked at the sky. He jumped.

The moon was back where it should be, high above the town. But the wicked face had not left it, no, in fact the eyes seemed more sinister and evil at this distance.

 _I miss Link…_


	18. Chapter 17 - The Mustering of the Zoras

**Chapter 17: The Mustering of the Zoras**

Link heard the trumpets blowing. He smelled the reek of monstrous corpses, the heavy stench of rotting flesh. He saw the Zoras cheering, embracing, smiling, throwing down their weapons with glee. He felt the exhilaration that surrounded him, the joy of hundreds of beings that was almost palpable, a tingle in his skin.

But none of the joy was his. He shared none of the relief. He looked at the messy battlefield and saw Ganondorf's leering face, mocking him. He saw the wounded Zoras, the fallen warriors, and heard the traitor's words within his mind.

 _You are too late, Hero! Too late to save the Princess, too late to save Marcus! Just as you were too late to save the King! You have failed all of them now! Failed!_

He saw Sir Marcus' body, so peaceful, lying in the shallows. He saw the arrows he had fired, shattered by Ganondorf's superhuman speed. He saw the dark blood on the ground. He saw the pain on the faces of those who had begun to recognize their fallen comrades.

 _You have failed all of them now! Failed!_

He sheathed the _Vilan_.

To his alarm, his body began shaking uncontrollably. His vision began to cloud, and he collapsed, passing into a world of darkness.

Haelberg found him lying on the ground. He checked Link's pulse, and sighed with relief to feel a steady throb of life. He picked up the Hero, and bore him back to the throne room.

Link was walking through a vast field. He recognized it, and yet it seemed strange to him. Hills and trees dotted the landscape. Birds fluttered through the sky. Rabbits sped over the ground in great leaps.

He felt himself turning, and soon he faced the opposite direction. He saw mountains, great beasts of rock and snow that rose like teeth from the ground.

And then he was rising, floating, flying through the air, passing over the mountains and into a sea of brown and tan. It rose and fell in large waves, waves that seemed frozen in time. He landed in the sea, and was surprised to feel something solid break his plunge. It gave slightly, but he could walk upon it.

The sun was hot here, and the air was thick and warm. He found himself panting, gasping for breath. He tried to change course, but his body seemed intent on moving in a certain direction. He walked for so long that day became night. The air became icy cold, and gusts of wind stole his breath and made his throat sore.

Then he was rising again, flying over the sea at a tremendous speed. He saw before him a dark tower that stood alone in the sea, atop a great ledge of rock.

Link began to feel afraid, hoping against hope that he would not be forced to go to the tower. But his course did not change, nor did his speed lessen. He shot through a window near the top of the tower.

He landed on a richly embroidered carpet, in a room that spoke of great wealth. But he could not take in much of his surroundings before the door opened.

He gasped.

Ganondorf Dragonmire entered the room. He was facing Link, and seemed to be looking at him, but then the traitor turned, walking elsewhere in the room. Link was confused. Could Ganondorf not see him?

Ganondorf sat down at a large table, and began to write something. Link wanted to know what was being written, but his feet carried him out the door and down a long flight of stairs.

He found himself in a large room, with a curtained bed at one end. He moved across the room, pulled back the curtain, and saw that there was someone in the bed. His arm reached out, and he tapped the sleeper.

The sleeping being stirred, and turned towards him.

Link screamed.

Majora's Mask was staring up at him, its eyes shining wickedly…

Link awoke with a scream of fear, heart pounding, sweat pouring down his face, eyes wide with unspeakable terror. A door opened, and several Zoras rushed into the room, alarmed. Link fell back into sleep, unaware of anything but the eyes of the cursed mask.

An old man was walking past the clock tower. Ereb recognized him to be the one who had sold him the bread. He approached the man.

"What happened to the moon?" he called.

The man glanced at him incredulously. "The moon?" he exclaimed. "The moon is the same as it always was, and always will be."

Ereb gaped. Was it possible? Was the evil face just the way the moon was here? He had to make sure.

"Look at it!" he said, pointing. The old man scoffed at him, but obliged.

"What about it?" he asked, appearing to study it.

Ereb shook his head.

 _Where am I?_

Link awoke again. He had slept dreamlessly this time, resting in the arms of peaceful darkness. His mind was clearer now. He looked around the small room he was in. It was cozy and warm. His resolve almost wavered at the idea of staying, but he shook away the desire.

He had business with the Zora King.

King Zora was in the throne room. Five days had passed since the battle of Zora's Domain. The Hero, to his knowledge, had been unconscious again ever since the afternoon three days before, when he had awoken screaming.

The large Zora sighed. It pained him to know what had happened.

Link had charged into the fray, reckless and mad with pain and sorrow. Nothing had withstood him. The Zoras were able to regroup, and with one last charge had managed to push the invaders out of Zora's Domain.

There had been massive casualties on both sides. Of the three hundred defenders, seventy six had fallen, including Sir Marcus. No one bothered to count the slain enemy, preferring to burn the bodies in great heaps.

King Zora had been approaching the Hero when it happened. Link had, for reasons no one could understand, begun to tremble all over, collapsing onto the cavern floor.

Since then, the Hero had seemed half dead. The Zora healers were able to pour water down his throat to keep him alive, but though he swallowed, there was no sign of awareness.

Sir Marcus had been buried, according to Zora tradition, beneath the Golden Pool with all the honors of a warrior.

King Zora jumped with surprise. Link was standing before him.

"Hero!" The King exclaimed, standing quickly.

But Link shook his head. He still looked very weak. "We need… an army. Gather at the Kokiri Forest…" he said.

King Zora nodded. He had been thinking along those lines as well. He raised his scepter, a thick staff with the golden figure of an arm fin at its head.

"It will be done, Hero. And there is another matter I must discuss with you."

Link nodded.

"How can I help you along with your original mission?"

"A boat. I must get to Death Mountain." The Hero replied. "But first…"

"Yes?"

"I need to say goodbye."

King Zora sighed. He knew what Link meant.

It was raining hard when Princess Zelda returned to Hyrule Castle.

She and Makar rode in on a horse stolen from Ganondorf's stables, the same black horse that he had stolen from the carpenter on that cold night so long before. The drawbridge was lowered, though three times the usual number of guards were posted there. Zelda rode past, doing her best to remain unnoticed.

But it was hard to keep from noticing such an unusual creature as Makar, which the guards did.

"Hey, you!" one yelled, pulling his sword. "What is that, and where are you going, and who are you?"

Zelda pulled back her hood. The guards gasped.

"Princess! Your Highness! You've escaped!" they exclaimed.

Though few were outside in the stormy afternoon, it seemed to Zelda that a great crowd had gathered at the proclamation. She was warmly welcomed back, and hammered with questions as to how she had escaped the wicked language instructor.

Zelda did not want any of this, and was considering trying to slip away, when she was knocked on the head by something and blacked out.

She awoke with a nasty headache. Looking around her, she saw that she was in a small room, but before seeing anything further, a kindly old man pressed a wet cloth to her forehead.

"Ah, good. I see you are coming around, then." The old man said, face beaming. "Sorry about that bump on the head, but it was necessary."

"Wha… What happened?" Zelda murmured.

"I manipulated the situation so that you would be knocked out," said the old man simply. "With such a great crowd around you it was hard, but I managed."

"Why?" asked Zelda, now becoming angry. She looked around once more. "And where is Makar?"

The old man smiled again, pure joy radiating from his face. "Ah, yes. I have already spoken to him. He is headed back home with a small escort."

Zelda was totally confused, but thinking made her head pound harder. She wearily chose the first question that came to mind.

"Who are you?"

The old man smiled all the wider. "Ah, yes. Yes, yes. I am named Majora, but many call me Old Majora instead."

Ereb had been in the town for three weeks, and had still found no way to return home. He was beginning to become desperate.

But these three weeks, though frustrating, had not been entirely fruitless.

The night before tonight, Ereb had learned of an old woman who told legends and stories. Upon hearing this, he wondered if the moon was one of them.

And so, he found himself walking along a narrow path that he had grown to know well, on his way to the old woman's house.

He had learned something else over the past three weeks as well:

Majora's Mask was not idle.

Whatever the mask had done to make the moon crash towards the town had begun again, and each morning brought the wicked face closer and closer to the clock tower. But the strangest part of it all to Ereb was that besides that one woman so long before, no one seemed to have even bothered to glance at the moon.

As if they were ignoring it on purpose…

 _Or perhaps_ , Ereb thought, _something more sinister_.

The thought startled him a bit, but the more he thought about it, the more sure he was. After his encounter with the man by the clock tower, he had grown more and more uneasy about the townspeople's indifference to the threatening doom that drew closer with every moment.

Was it possible that he, Ereb, was the only one who could see the evil face? Who could see that the moon was slowly making its way to the town?

Who could see that each day might be the last for the town?

The thought made sense, now that he realized it.

But he had to be sure.

He entered the small house of the story teller well before anyone else. She was a fat old woman, with keen eyes and a wrinkled face that tightened when any emotion came upon it.

Ereb grew rather nervous as he sat on a small chair by the fire. The way she looked at him with those eyes was unnerving… Almost as if she knew what he would say before he said it.

He almost fell out of his seat at her opening statement.

"You are here for the tale of the evil moon."

It was not a question, not a guess. It was spoken as fact. Ereb became rather pale as he nodded.

"Yes, yes. Many have listened to me tell that tale. No one looks up anymore. No one pays attention."

Ereb nodded again; this was precisely what he had observed.

"The moon is cursed over these lands. Cursed by a being of darkness beyond the blackest shadow." Her voice had lowered to a harsh whisper, and yet it seemed as loud as though she was shouting. Ereb listened intently.

"You have seen it falling." She said.

"Y-Yes."

"You must destroy it, Ereb."

Ereb did fall out of his seat now. He backed against the wall, his heart thudding.

"How do you know my name?"

The fire light flickered, and suddenly went out. Darkness engulfed the house. Ereb felt deathly cold, and felt an evil terror more horrible than any he had ever felt before.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?"

The ground began to quake. A wave of searing heat struck Ereb like a blow.

The song he had played on the ocarina three weeks before, the tune his mother had sung, began to whistle through the air about him. He felt like he was spinning again…

A fell voice wailed…

 _"ASHI CoMblante…"_

It was silent by the Golden Pool.

Link knelt in the still waters, head in his hands. His tears fell into the water, which accepted them as its own, mingling its waters with the grief of a lonely boy.

Before Link stood a small, square tombstone. It read

 _Here lies the man_

 _Who was born a Hero,_

 _Who lived a Hero,_

 _And died a Hero._

 _His life, his legend,_

 _Live forever_

 _Sir Gregory Marcus_

Beneath the water of the Golden Pool rested a glass tomb. The soil and silt of the pool floor had begun to gather upon it, but Link could still see Sir Marcus' face within, his lips still parted in a smile. The Warrior's eyes, defying death, had not yet clouded. They stared up at Link, burning with a fire of power and will from beyond the grave.

Link stood. He drew the _Vilan_ , and plunged it into the earth.

"I will defeat him. I swear upon all oaths, upon the kings, and upon the blood that flows within me. I will defeat him."

Pulling the blade from the ground, he left the Golden Pool, and said goodbye for the last time.

It took a full two weeks for the messengers to return with Zora troops from throughout Hyrule. Almost two hundred had arrived from Lake Hylia, and another six hundred had arrived from the great lakes and the Hyrule River. It was on a bright morning that Link awoke to the sound of thundering voices. He smiled grimly as he pulled on his tunic and left his quarters.

King Zora marched at the head of a thousand Zoras. The armies of the water dwellers carried banners of blue and silver above them, shouting war cries in their own tongues.

Link was stunned at the size of the army. He ran down to join the King. He quickly fell into a marching pace just behind the enormous Zora.

"Where did all of these come from?" he asked, almost having to shout over the noise of the army.

"From the four corners of Hyrule!" replied the King. "They were unaware of our plight before; Ganondorf's armies killed our messengers, and by the time you arrived, Hero, it was too late to hope! But now, hahaha! Now, we will strike at Ganondorf with the full strength of our people!"

The army marched through Zora's Domain, shouting and cheering.

The plan was a simple one. The army would march to the Kokiri Forest, where they would await Link's return. Link would travel to Death Mountain and attempt to locate the Shiekah and to gain the allegiance of the powerful Gorons.

When Link thought of it, perhaps it wasn't so simple after all…


	19. Chapter 18 - Princesses and Mask Makers

**Chapter 18: Of Princesses and Mask Makers**

Zelda gasped. "Old Majora?"

The old man laughed. "Yes, princess, I am he."

"Do you know where Link and Ereb are?" she asked anxiously.

"No, not exactly at the moment, but I know where Link might be headed."

"Where?" Zelda asked, heart pounding with anxiety.

"Death Mountain."

"No." Zelda whispered.

A tear ran its course down her cheek.

She had told the Shadow that Link was in the eastern mountains.

Death Mountain was one of the eastern mountains.

The Shadow would find Link there, and it was all her fault…

Ganondorf was doing what he did best: plotting and brooding.

He glanced out the lone window of his chambers, looking out into the cold world of the Gueredo Desert at night.

His attack on Zora's Domain had failed, that much he knew, but at least it had not been entirely a waste. He had managed to destroy Sir Marcus, finally exacting his revenge against the Knight.

But something was wrong. He could feel it. He closed his red eyes, concentrating. What could it be? All was going according to plan.

Then his heart skipped a beat. He grew very pale. His fists clenched. He rose abruptly, almost running from his chambers.

He had to find out for sure…

Old Majora was also brooding on this cold night.

He had learned many things from his discussion with the Princess.

 _"I spoke with the Ghost of my Father." Zelda had said, eyes bright with fresh tears. "He told me that Link and Ereb have been separated. That Link is alone. I'm frightened for them."_

 _Old Majora sighed. "Did the King speak of a mask?"_

 _"No."_

 _The old man rose, hobbling over to the decorated box he had fashioned to hold Majora's Mask. "I suppose it is my fault then, in the end." He muttered._

 _Zelda was confused. "What is your fault?"_

 _"It was cursed. Cursed with evil power. Cursed by the Oracle, even before they left."_

 _"What was cursed? The mask? What mask?"_

 _Old Majora chuckled in his strange way. "The mask I made, Princess. The mask that Ereb must destroy. The mask that Ganondorf needs."_

 _"Ganondorf needs? Why does Ganondorf need a… a cursed mask?"_

 _"Not the mask… at least, not exactly. He needs the Oracle." answered Old Majora. "He needs the Oracle…"_

Link rowed across the silent waters like a phantom. The only trace of his passing was the rippling water left in his wake.

Link looked around him. Lake Hylia was enormous. He could see the small islands of green grasses that rose up around him, like sentinels of the night shadows.

The silence was both soothing and unnerving at the same time. The stillness of the lake waters was calming to him after the battle of Zora's Domain, and yet…

…And yet, he could still see signs of Ganondorf's treachery around him. Here and there, Zora funeral processions began to take shape, dully lit by flickering torches carried by the mourners. The silence of the lake was now an alien force, powerful and haunting. It marked the solemnity of the deaths, the sacredness of the memories made.

It was both beautiful and chilling.

Link sped his progress, rowing more quickly through the dark water.

Just behind him, a slimy green dorsal fin slid in and out of the water.

Each time it surfaced, it was closer to the Hero…

Ereb awoke, once again, flat on his back, inside the clock tower. He opened his eyes, bracing for the pain he remembered coming upon him. He sat up. Right on cue, his back burst into searing pain. His eyes watered. He stood up, wincing, and once again left the clock tower.

It was still late at night.

Or was it night _again?_

The thought startled him.

Puzzle pieces began shifting within Ereb's mind.

The repetitive way things happened here… Was everything connected? Majora's Mask, the ocarina, the song, the moon, the story teller…

He thought hard, and remembered the moments just after the earthquake in the story teller's house, the old woman who had mysteriously known his name.

He remembered the words spoken by that evil voice…

Words that, now, he remembered being spoken by the cursed mask…

 _ASHI coMblante…_

Brilliant light erupted behind him. His shadow was dark before him. He whirled around, fists raised, ready for anything.

Except for what he saw…

The string of evil curses and oaths that echoed through the halls of Ganondorf's dark tower would have made even the foulest Gueredo speaking person cover their ears, blushing profusely.

The voice that screamed them was harsh and angry, and was coming from a snarling mouth, set just below a prominent nose and two wickedly red eyes.

Ganondorf Dragonmire had discovered Zelda's empty cell…


	20. Chapter 19 - Night and Day

**Chapter 19: Night and Day**

The Shadow was hunting the Hero.

Speeding across the ground with impossible speed, blazing red eyes locked on the mountainous landscape before him, dark sword drawn, stormy clouds brooding far above, the Shadow was hunting the Hero.

Lightning striking, thunder clashing, rain falling, wind howling, wolves baying, teeth gnashing, blood flowing, death approaching, doom on the horizon, sun fading, moon glaring down…

The Shadow was hunting the Hero…

Ereb's eyes were nearly blinded by the horror before him.

The moon had fallen, and was hovering inches above the ground. It was smaller than it should be, only as large as a house, maybe two.

But it was still enough to terrify Ereb. For he did not see the moon…

He saw its two wicked eyes, fixed upon him.

Ereb screamed in pain. He collapsed, a knife plunged into his back. Lost in a fog of pain and fear, he looked up to see his attacker…

His jaw dropped before he passed out.

Link's face was set into grim determination as he heaved his boat onto the shore. He had crossed the vastness of Lake Hylia in only a few hours, and now he dropped to the ground, exhausted. He looked up at the lake, admiring its serene beauty as he recovered. The sunrise was slowly beginning to touch the edges of the distant horizon, and a multitude of colors streaked across the skies around it.

He did not notice a glistening fin that surfaced every now and then, still approaching him.

He did not notice the tiny bubbles that trailed in its wake.

He _did_ notice a menacing sound nearby.

"Hello, Hero…" said a growling voice.

Link spun around, coming face to face with a gigantic creature. It stood twice as tall as he, on thick scaly legs the size of small trees. It was reared up, claws outstretched, massive head bowed to look at him, a toothy grin on its wicked face. It had long, jagged fins that grew from its back, arms and long, snake- like tail.

Link scrambled backwards, narrowly avoiding the first swipe of its deadly claws. He pulled the _Vilan_ from its sheath, rolling to the side, barely dodging another powerful swing. The beast roared, charging at the Hero with long strides.

But Link's anger had been aroused. The journey across the lake had soothed his nerves, and his plans for revenge against Ganondorf set aside, but now, as he glared at the beast that towered above him, it all came rushing back to him.

He stood, eyes set on the monstrous lake creature, and ran at it. The creature's charge at Link brought the two of them towards each other swiftly.

But they never had a chance to meet.

The beast turned, using the speed of Link's charge against him. It whipped its tail around, striking Link with supreme strength.

The next thing Link felt was the hardness of the ground. The landing knocked the breath from the Hero's lungs, and as he lay there, struggling for a breath, the beast took advantage of his weakness. It swung its claws one last time, and this time its aim was true. Link crumpled, and passed from consciousness.

The beast roared again, and snatched Link up, carrying him off to its lair.

Bruustow was having a hard time of it. After his failure to win the Battle of the Graveyards, he had fallen from Ganondorf's favor, and to escape the warlord's punishment, he had fled to his home in the Black Caves, where he now awaited a chance at revenge.

He looked moodily at the remnants of his forces. These were the Miniblin who had abandoned Ganondorf as well, following their general to the Black Caves. Their number was small, only a fourth of the force that had attacked the Graveyards.

A small spy, Maaltin, one of Bruustow's own clan, was reporting to him on the status of Ganondorf's forces.

"The rest of our forces have remained with the Gueredo warlord." Maaltin was saying. "They have named a new general to command them, though who that is we have not learned. Out of the six odes that attacked, only four remain, not counting us."

Bruustow nodded. It was the same message his other spies had given him, and it did not cheer him any more than the others had.

The black Miniblin stood, and made his way to the barracks, where his remaining army was dwelling. His mind was made up; it had been made up days before, but confirmation was necessary.

His soldiers were eating, and were rather surprised to see their general joining them in the ode barracks. Bruustow silenced any speech with a quick glance full of malice. The Miniblin army didn't need any more warning than that, and the before-noisy barracks became absolutely silent.

Bruustow stood on one of the front tables, pulling his sword. All eyes were fixed upon the general.

"It is time!" began the Miniblin. "We have kept out of the fray for long enough! It is time!"

The tone of his voice encouraged a response, and the Miniblin complied. The barracks were instantly full of the foul voices of the Miniblin soldiers. War cries and curses of the Hylians echoed throughout the Black Caves.

"We march at midday!" cried Bruustow. "Death! Blood! Tooth and claw!"

The Miniblin, worked into a blood-thirsty fervor by their general's words, took up the chant.

"Death! Blood! Tooth and Claw!

"Death! Blood! Tooth and Claw!

"Death! Blood! Tooth and Claw!"

Link could hear his surroundings long before his eyes cleared so he could see them. The roar of rushing waters was a constant noise. It droned on and on, endlessly.

Another sound was that of the bats that inhabited the place he was in. They seldom made a sound, but when they did, their screeching cries were awful to hear.

He had no idea how long he had been lying there before his vision finally cleared. He found himself on a broad ledge at the mouth of a dark cave. Dusk was heavy across the land, and the darkness made it hard to see where he was. The cave itself was featureless and barren, its only inhabitants being the bats that hung, here and there, from the cavern ceiling. Far below an underground river wended its way silently out of the cave.

Link could not see any sign of the lake beast anywhere. He felt strangely tired, falling into a deep slumber.

He jolted into awareness just after the sun had risen. The lake beast was slithering towards him, moving swiftly but smoothly on its great scaly limbs. Its eyes glinted in the dawn light, and its teeth snapped open and closed like thousands of scissors.

Link backed from the creature until he hit the cavern wall. Looking desperately around him, he saw nowhere to run. His hand shot to his sword, his last hope, but his fingers grasped nothing but air…


	21. Chapter 20 - Three Disasters

**Chapter 20: Three Disasters**

The courtyard of Hyrule Castle was full of people, awaiting a speech from the last living member of the Royal Family, Princess Zelda.

In the days since her return, only a handful of the townspeople had seen, let alone spoken to, the Princess. Her only companions were her bodyguards and a strange old mask maker. The common opinion was that Zelda had been lost in the battle, and, confused and alone, had lost herself in Hyrule Field until she had been found by the strange Korok, Makar.

No one yet knew the truth of Ganondorf's treachery.

No one yet knew about the death of Sir Marcus.

No one yet knew that a lone black clad rider was thundering across the fields at top speed towards the castle, a rider with flaming red eyes and orange hair…

Ereb was nowhere.

He stood on an endless expanse of empty whiteness.

There was just… nothing.

His back no longer hurt. The wound had somehow vanished. His foot touched something. He picked it up.

It was the knife.

He sighed, sticking it into his belt.

He felt utterly, completely and totally alone.

"Hello?" he called.

No answer.

"Hello!"

"Hello!" came his echo.

Ereb dropped to the ground, or at least onto whatever was supporting him. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples.

When he opened his eyes again, he gasped. An oasis had appeared before him; small and solitary against the blank infinity that surrounded it, but there.

He ran to it at top speed, hoping it was real, believing it was real. He jumped into the pool of water.

He laughed as he felt the water drenching his clothes.

It was real.

He clambered out of the water, and lay on the ground, looking up at the leaves of the trees. They moved gracefully, blown by some wind Ereb could neither feel nor hear.

Someone laughed.

Ereb jumped.

A creature stood over him. It was small and round, with massive white eyes and tiny, stubby limbs. It reminded Ereb of the Koroks.

It laughed again.

"Are you here to break the Night?" it asked softly.

"What?"

"Are you here…" the creature repeated, slowly and deliberately, "…to break the Night?"

One word flashed through Ereb's mind. _Moon!_

Night. Moon. Was it possible?

"Are we inside the moon?" Ereb asked. The question sounded absurd as he asked it.

The creature laughed again. "So you _have_ come to break the night. Yes, yes, this is good. She was wise to attack you then."

"What?" Ereb muttered, totally confused. His memory was a blur. Then he remembered.

The old woman, the story teller who had known his name, was the one who had stabbed him.

The creature laughed; it was a strange, hypnotic laugh. It waddled around Ereb. He sat up.

"We have waited long for this. The end of the Hero's lineage, and hence the last threat to our dominion."

Ereb gasped. Memories of the Sacred Chamber flooded into him, memories of what he had overheard as he lay pretending to be dead…

The white expanse surrounding the oasis slowly grew dark, until all Ereb could see was the huge white eyes of the creature. They blinked several times, moving closer and closer to Ereb, until the next time they opened, they were right in front of his face. He heard the creature's soft voice again.

"Look to your right."

Ereb obeyed. He saw nothing for a few moments.

A beam of light suddenly shone on a long, gleaming object. It shone with a fire of its own. Ereb grabbed it.

It was a sword.

A long, broad, powerful sword that felt much lighter than it should have. Its polished blade was like a mirror, and Ereb looked into it.

He saw the reflection of himself, concentrating on the blade. But then he saw other things.

Just behind him, a small yellow circle of light appeared. Another, at the same height, appeared next to it.

And following the two yellow circles, a frightening mask appeared…

Zelda was sitting in a chair in the throne room. Before her were the doors to the balcony, overlooking the courtyard. She saw the masses of people there. They were all looking up at her, to her, seeking answers, seeking guidance.

She took a long, steadying breath before standing.

A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around.

She saw Ganondorf's leering face before her.

"Y-You!" she stammered, terrified.

"Yes, me." Ganondorf growled. He knocked her out with a backhanded strike to the face.

The Princess crumpled. Ganondorf did not look at her again. He strode to the doors, out onto the balcony.

The people below gasped and murmured.

"The Princess is ill." Said the traitor. "She has given me her orders."

He allowed himself a tiny smile before continuing.

"She has decided to relinquish the throne to me."

The people had no idea of how to react. Some, who liked Ganondorf, cheered. Others felt as though they had been in the dark for too long.

First the king was discovered dead along with several new Knights, then an ambush was sprung, then the Princess was found to be missing, then their champion Sir Marcus and the two surviving Knights left without warning, and now, after the unexpected return of the Princess, Ganondorf was proclaiming himself to be king.

It was all too much to digest. Something had gone wrong somewhere, and they wanted to know what.

But before anything else happened, Ganondorf was announcing the day of his coronation, and saying that a new army, hired by himself, would replace the current soldiers.

Shouts of outrage flew at Ganondorf, but before anything could happen, he was already back inside.

The lake monster slowly approached Link until it was right in his face. It growled menacingly. Link took a shaky breath, and slowly reached out his hand to it. If fighting was not an option, perhaps an attempt at friendship would save him.

It took all of his will power, but he forced himself to continue extending his hand until it was just before the creature's maw. It became silent.

The lake beast gave a loud snort. Link trembled with fear.

The monster's eyes narrowed, and it began to growl again. It reared up, and struck at Link. He barely dodged the attack, rolling to the side as its monstrous head struck the stone wall. Link looked desperately for an escape route, but could find none. One final, desperate idea struck him.

He sprinted to the edge, and leaped off of the ledge. The beast roared behind him. He fell fast. The water rushed up to meet him.

The air was knocked from his lungs as he crashed into the river…


	22. Chapter 21 - Long Live the King

p class="p1"span class="s1"strongChapter 21: Long Live the King/strong/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The new army arrived the next day. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The townspeople heard them before they could see them; thousands of marching feet pounding the earth at a steady pace. After a few minutes of this, they could dimly hear the clatter of armor and the shouts of the leaders. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"And then they saw a star shining on the road, far off. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"It was quickly joined by a few more, then suddenly the road was alight./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Those who could see gasped. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"It was not stars, but spear heads. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The late morning sun, shining down upon the marching army, glinted on the sharp spear blades, lighting them up brightly like thousands of tiny stars. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Then the army appeared. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Marching ten abreast, a thousand Bokoblins, clad in full armor, approached. They were followed by six hundred Miniblin, eight hundred Moblins, and then six hundred Darknuts. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Open the gates!" came a sharp command from the balcony. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The gate guards reluctantly obeyed, unbarring the heavy wooden doors and then pushing them slowly open. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The new army marched in. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Rank after rank, group after group, row after row marched in./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"They marched through the courtyards, their thick boots pounding the ground at the same steady pace. The noise of their marching was terribly loud. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"emthud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud /em/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"They marched into the balcony courtyard, forming ranks and abruptly ceasing their march. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Three thousand blades pierced the sky in a mass salute. The General of the army, a massive Darknut named Stalg, strode quickly and quietly to the head of the army, and then pulled his own sword. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""My Lord Ganondorf," he bellowed in a grating voice, "we are here."/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The balcony was cast into shadow by the sun. No reply was forthcoming. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"But then, out stepped a Gueredo Warlord. The shadows seemed to peel back from him as he walked forward, his red eyes blazing. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He looked over his army, the survivors from Zora's Domain and his other forces, all raising their swords and spears in salute to him. A smile spread over his face./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Well done, General Stalg. Prepare for the coronation."/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"*** /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The noise of splashing water reached his ears. He smiled. It was a foul smile, one with no genuine mirth or feeling to it. /span/p  
p class="p4"It was the smile of a cat that has cornered its prey, the smile of a hunter who sees his quarry nearby. /p  
p class="p4"The Shadow looked down into the cavern pool, watching the dark waters rippling. /p  
p class="p3"span class="s2" Any moment now…/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"There. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Surfacing, gasping for breath, coughing and gagging, the Hero emerged. He struggled to leave the water, but he was still too weak. After several tense moments, the Hero managed it. He crawled onto the cold rock, and when he knew he was safe from the water, he collapsed with exhaustion. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He lay there for longer than he would ever know, until he could breath normally again, and could move more easily. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Watching him from above, the Shadow pondered the situation for a long time. Finally reaching a decision, he followed the Hero stealthily as he left the cave./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"After all, why kill him without learning what he was doing first?/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"* /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Three days passed in this way. Link, gradually recovering from the enormous fall, made slow progress. But every step he took was mirrored by the Shadow, silently, invisibly following. When he stopped for the night, he forced himself to keep a steady watch as he rested, barely sleeping and growing weaker with each passing hour. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"But though he was vigilant, he never spotted anything suspicious. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"How could he have?/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Nothing hides better in the darkness than darkness itself./span/p  
p class="p4"*/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"On the fourth day after his escape from the lake beast, Link saw Lake Hylia again. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He had followed the river, which he guessed might eventually flow into the lake. His guess was correct. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He sighed with relief when he saw that he was still on the right side of the lake. He would not have to attempt another crossing. Looking towards the east, he could just barely make out the sharp profiles of the distant mountains. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""I made it." He said. "I actually made it." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He made his way to the edge of the great lake, took a long drink, and for the thousandth time since discovering its absence, wished he still had the emVilan/em. He felt exposed and endangered without a sword at his side. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He looked around, hoping to see some sign of life nearby, someone who might help him with food and a place to rest. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The only thing he saw that looked promising was a small hut half a mile or so away, floating on the waters on a wooden platform. He could just make out smoke rising from the chimney. Wearily he set off. It was tough going. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The rocky beach along the lake was slippery, and several times he had to balance himself to keep from falling in. /span/p  
p class="p4"He only succeeded two or three times. /p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"So it was with clothes dripping and arms bruised that Link finally reached his destination. He knocked on the door, and stepped back. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"No answer. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he knocked again. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Again, no answer. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Frustrated and forlorn, Link turned to leave the hut, and good riddance, when he heard something click behind him. He spun around, coming face to face with an old man. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Who are you, and what is your business here?" asked the old man. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2" "I am Link, a Knight of Hyrule. And my business is…" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Link?" interrupted the old man. "Link, the Knight of Hyrule? The Squire of Sir Marcus?" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link was rather taken aback at this sudden display of knowledge, but seeing no escape, nodded. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""How did you know that I was a Squire to Sir Marcus?" he asked, growing more anxious by the moment. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2" The old man looked around nervously, and then sighed. "That is good, good. No one is… but then, why should they be…" he mumbled something Link could not hear, and then nodded as if satisfied. "Very well then. Come in, perhaps it is best for you to know." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Confused and anxious, but grateful for a bit of good fortune, Link followed the old man into the hut. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"***/span/p  
p class="p4"The day Link jumped into the cave pool to escape the lake beast, Ganondorf held his coronation. /p  
p class="p4"All citizens of Hyrule were forced to be present to witness the crowning of the new king. The former soldiers were ordered to stand in the very back of the throne room, while those who had supported Ganondorf's rise to power were put at the front. Part of Ganondorf's army lined the walls, stood by the doors, and guarded Ganondorf himself, while the others lined the castle battlements and the streets./p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"As if to deny the new king a tiny bit of his satisfaction, rain poured relentlessly down. It rattled on the armor of his soldiers, flowed through the streets, and flooded the lower areas of Hyrule Field. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"But not even a flood could douse the flame of victory in Ganondorf's heart. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He stood by the great throne, fully armored , with two Miniblin attending to his cloak. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"And then the audience was ordered to stand. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Princess Zelda, under guard of four Bokoblins, their sword points poking her back, walked to the throne. She wore her father's crown. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"When she reached the thrones, she turned to the people. She said nothing, her mouth a tight line of determination. No matter what happened to her, she would not let her father's murderer take the throne. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"One of the Bokoblins leaned close, close enough to whisper in her ear. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Do it." It growled menacingly. "Do it, or die." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"But Zelda refused to speak. Ganondorf, seeing that his coronation was off to a rocky start, nodded to Stalg. The Darknut General nodded back, and strode into the crowd. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He walked to three people, and ordered them to stand. They obeyed nervously, and were lead to the thrones. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Ganondorf pulled out his sword. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Terrified, the three victims were forced to their knees. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""If you will not forfeit the crown to me," Ganondorf hissed, "then I will kill them, one at a time, until you do." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Tears sprang to the Princess' eyes. The three people looked to her pleadingly, terrified. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"She removed the crown from her head. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""I forfeit the crown of Hyrule." She whispered. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"She held the crown out to Ganondorf. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""And I give the crown of Hyrule to Ganondorf Dragonmire, traitor, murderer, kidnapper and dictator." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"She added the last words with such venom that Ganondorf grew pale for a moment. But then, regaining his composure, he snatched the crown from Zelda's hands, and placed it onto his own head. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"His soldiers immediately burst into cheers. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Long live the King! /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Long live the King!/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Long live the King!"/span/p  
p class="p4"But Zelda's words had taken hold of the Hylians. /p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"With only a moment to use against Ganondorf, she had revealed him to be evil to her people./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"They had already been horrified to see him threaten the three men, but now their questions were answered as well. They knew now why their king was dead. Knew why the Princess had disappeared. Those who had supported Ganondorf now looked disgusted. The former soldiers, already angry with the Gueredo, went pale with rage. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"All Ganondorf's ambitions began to collapse about him. All his planning and plotting to keep this from happening had failed. The rebellion was already beginning, from the moment he had put on the crown. There was only one option left to him now. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Stalg!" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2" General Stalg drew his enormous blade, menacing the people with it. "Bokoblins!" he cried. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The throne room doors burst open, and a score of Bokoblins rushed in, wailing and shouting. br / br / "Round them up!" Stalg shouted. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"The command was instantly obeyed. The troops lining the walls closed in on the Hylians, while the Bokoblins forced them out. Soon there was no Hylian within the throne room save one. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Ganondorf said nothing; his rage was too great to be expressed in words. He strode over to Zelda. Her eyes were wide with fright. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"He snapped his fingers, and three Darknuts lumbered over. Two grabbed Zelda by the arms, while the third held his sword point to her back. Ganondorf glared at her for several long moments. The flaming red eyes clashed with the brilliant blue ones. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Finally, Zelda looked away. /span/p  
p class="p4"Ganondorf had won the battle of wills./p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Take her to the cells." He snarled. She was led away. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Ganondorf sighed. He began to spiral without a clear plan. Things were going terribly wrong. /span/p  
p class="p4"But then, as it so often did, opportunity strode up to the door of his mind and knocked. /p  
p class="p4"He smiled. Here was a chance to rid himself of two threats with one stroke…/p  
p class="p4"The Hero and the rebellion would both be put down quickly./p 


	23. Chapter 22 - Wanted

**Chapter 22: Wanted**

Link walked into a well lit room. A fire blazed in a hearth in the wall, drying his wet clothes even as he stood there. A pot hanging over the fire cast delicious smells about. A table, set with wooden dishes, stood in the center of the room. One wall was lined with beautifully carved bookshelves, in which resided many books. Shoved into an obscure corner of the room were a desk and chair, the former of which was overflowing with papers and maps.

A healthy stack of paper rested on one side of the desk, covered with a flowing, tidy script. At the opposite end of the room was an open doorway, leading into a small but comfortable looking bedroom. Everything about the hut's interior seemed to defy the fact that it was within a hut at all, and seemed to speak of richer times.

The old man led Link nervously inside, and then shut and barred the door securely and drew the curtains before turning back to him.

"There." He said. "Now we may talk in safety."

He gestured for Link to take a seat in an extra chair, and then, seating himself as well, lit himself a pipe. Looking much more relaxed, he fixed Link with a steady look.

"Welcome to my small abode, Link." The old man began, talking between pulls from his pipe. "But of course, you will want to know who I am?"

Link nodded, still puzzled by the whole situation.

"I am…" the man paused, and looked very thoughtful for a long moment. "I am happy to see that you have made it so far."

Link frowned.

"Yes, yes, very good of you indeed. But you had some help, didn't you?" the old man droned on, eyes still fixed upon Link. "And of course that is only right. They all did, you know. None of them ever went it alone the whole time."

Link was starting to get annoyed, but tried to hide it as he said, "I don't know what you mean. Who are you?"

The old man chuckled. "Who am I? I am a chronicler, Hero, and my name is Jade. Jade the chronicler, I'm called, and that's all you need know for the moment."

Link's jaw had dropped. Astonishment turned to fear, and fear to anger.

"How do you know I am the Hero?" he demanded. "How do you know about Sir Marcus? How do you know I've had help to get this far?"

Jade smiled. "Ah, yes. That."

He took a deep draw from his pipe before speaking again. When he spoke, his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper.

"Have you heard of the Hero's lineage?"

Link's heart stopped. Memories came flooding back, memories of a pair of giant white eyes.

"Yes."

"Do you know what it is?"

"No."

"That is what they are counting on."

"Who?"

Jade sighed. "No one knows what they are called. Perhaps they themselves don't know. But they are… his servants."

"Whose servants?" Link asked. His voice, too, had dropped to a whisper.

"The Oracle of Doom."

Link had to fight himself to keep his temper. First the Ghost King, now Jade the chronicler had spoken of this Oracle. Link's anger was already kindled against the Ghost King, and now, a small flame of wrath began smoking at Jade as well. He was sick of hearing about this Oracle. Sick of the way they both dodged his questions.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I told you, I am Jade-"

"No!" Link was almost shouting now. "Who are you? How do you know I'm the Hero? How do you know I was Sir Marcus' squire? How do you know anything about me?"

Jade sighed. "So we come to it. If you want answers, boy, I will give them."

Link leaned back, arms folded. His eyes had taken on a fierce glint. "I do."

"Very well." Said Jade.

He took one last pull at his pipe before beginning.

"There is a legend with a prophecy. A Legend that speaks of a chosen one. One who would rise above all his kin to strike down the Evil that looms over Hyrule.

"This prophecy went unfulfilled for a thousand years. Hyrule thrived and grew, and peace ruled. But then, a King was born.

"He was destined to become the greatest ruler of his people, a people who lived in the Gueredo Desert, a people who secretly had been plotting against Hyrule. While the child was still very young, his Father grew tired of waiting to strike, and took matters into his own hands.

"He searched and searched for five years for a forbidden place, a place cursed. A place where he could obtain a great Power. A Power that was locked away, never to be used again.

"But the boy's Father was a reckless and hateful man. He cared not for the warnings of his people; he listened not to the advice of their wisest elders. His pride and his unquenchable thirst for Power would not let him.

"And he found the Forbidden Power. He took it for himself. He used it to amass his people, to call forth great armies of terrible beasts, and to attack Hyrule.

"And it was then that he used his stolen Power to summon the Black Dragon. Kratin it was called, and it was the very embodiment of Evil. It was then in Hyrule's moment of need that the Hero appeared.

"He slew the dragon, defeated the Father, and Hyrule again lived in peace. But the people were slow to forget, and even slower to age. Their lives were very long.

"And the boy grew. He grew into a powerful man. He was trained. He learned of his father's failure. He grew to hate Hyrule more than his father ever did. And so, when the time was ripe, he traveled to Hyrule and gained the King's trust.

"You have probably guessed of whom I speak."

Link nodded; he had.

"Ganondorf Dragonmire." He said, fists clenched.

"Yes. Ganondorf Dragonmire." Sighed Jade. "The most powerful Gueredo who ever lived, and the only one to succeed in his quest to become King of Hyrule."

Link choked. "King! He has made himself King?"

Jade nodded. "But that is not all. He was crowned three days ago. Since then, he has sent messengers all over Hyrule, carrying these." He handed Link a paper from the desk.

Link read it aloud. _"Wanted: Sir Link of Hyrule, traitor to the crown, murderer of Sir Marcus, and former squire of that Knight, who has escaped custody. Suspected to be traveling alone."_ Below the writing was a well drawn sketch of Link. Anyone who had seen the warrant would easily recognize Link.

The paper rattled; Link's hands were shaking with rage. "Of course he knows I'm traveling alone. He's the one who murdered Sir Marcus!"

A sudden suspicion crossed Link's mind. He shot an icy glare at Jade. "How do you know all this about Ganondorf's Father? How do you know about this Oracle? Even in answering me you avoid answering me! HOW?"

A brilliant white light erupted behind Link, a light he knew well. He spun around, coming face to face with the Ghost King.

The Shadow, who had been listening at the window, was burned by the light. It pierced him like fiery knives. He fled.

The reflection in the blade was of an evil mask. A purple heart shaped mask, with spikes on its sides and two massive, yellow eyes. Ereb had seen Majora's Mask in his dreams for weeks, but never, even in reality, had the mask been this horrifying.

Ereb heard the fell voice again, echoing in the empty darkness, roaring within his mind.

 _ASHI coMblante…_

Ereb whirled around, raising the sword before him, eyes blazing, jaw clenched…

And in that moment, he heard the toll of the clock tower.

 _Bong_

He could hear the white – eyed creature crying out to him.

"Break the Night! Break the Night before the stroke of twelve!" it was shouting.

His grip tightened around the sword hilt.

He gasped.

 _Bong_

The mask was shining in the darkness, its massive yellow eyes beaming like spotlights.

 _ASHI coMblante…_

 _Bong_

A blast of hot air suddenly slammed into Ereb from behind, becoming a whirlwind that enveloped the mask. He screamed.

 _Bong_

The air around the mask burst into flames, crackling and hissing with white hot energy. And then the flames became arms. And legs. And a torso.

The mask had a body of fire.

 _Bong_

Ereb staggered back, away from the intense heat. The eyes shone brighter.

It raised a fiery arm, from which a hand and fingers of flame burst forth.

It snapped its new fingers. An immense, stone sword appeared before it.

Majora's Mask now had a blade.

 _Bong_

And Ereb knew in that moment that this was do or die. This was a fight to the death.

His legs shaking, he stood. The mask grasped its stone sword.

Their eyes, the defiant green ones and the shining yellow ones, locked.

 _ASHI coMblante…_

 _Bong_

The mask charged. Stone met steel. Fiery, glowing sparks danced.

The blades clashed again and again.

 _Bong_

Their blades locked. The mask's flaming body smoked. Their faces, human and carved, were inches from each other.

Ereb heard the mask's evil, shrieking voice.

 _"I will break you! You shall fall, and I shall have you again!"_

Ereb's eyes narrowed. His left hand moved to his side.

 _Bong_

"No." he growled. "I am free now. You will not have me again."

The yellow eyes flared. _"But you are mine. You hated me long, but I sensed greatness in you. That is why I chose you."_

A single word came to Ereb's mind.

 _Liar._

 _Bong_

It all came clear. The mask had not chosen him. It had been put on him. It had not sensed greatness in him. To the cursed evil, Ereb was only a tool. A tool to get the mask to this place, where it had true power to itself.

"I am not yours. I am a Knight of Hyrule! I serve the King."

 _Bong_

In a single movement, he pulled the knife from his belt.

With all the power he could muster, he brought it down on the mask.

It broke in two.

The flaming body was put out as completely as if water had been poured over it. The stone blade crumbled, falling to the ground as fine dust.

A final scream rent the air.

 _ASHI coMblante!_

 _Bong._ Midnight.

Ereb fell to the ground. Everything shook. The darkness receded, leaving behind the empty whiteness from before.

A thunderous roar erupted. The earthquake intensified. Ereb saw the sky rip in two. Or, rather, the _moon_ rip in two.

Everything went black.


	24. Chapter 23 - Rebellious Seeds

**Chapter 23: Rebellious Seeds**

The tavern was full of customers, as usual. It bustled with evening activity: men shouting for more to drink, the bartender serving up draft after draft of ale, and a crowd laughing and making bets on an arm wrestling match.

But there was a group of individuals who did not join in on the carousing. One group who sat in a dark corner around an old wooden table, deep in muttered conversation.

There was Stagrim, a former captain of Hyrule's armies, who sported a thick beard and a wavy moustache. Then there were three former soldiers. Felix, Cral, and Sturden. Finally there was a cloaked figure, whose face remained always in shadow.

Cral spoke first. "We have to act now. The _king_ has already begun forcing people to leave the Castle grounds or die for treachery. We'll be next."

"Oh, always worried, Cral." Felix said. "We have some time yet. The most difficult thing will be breaking her out of there. The people will follow her, but first we need her free."

Stagrim sighed. "The Princess is under maximum protection from any attempts like this. We won't get a chance to rescue her without some kind of well laid plan."

Cral snorted. "Sure, but how long might that take? We'd need at least a week to spy it out, and another week to put any plans into action."

Sturden, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke up. "The mask maker."

"What?" said Felix.

"The mask maker. He was always at her side after she returned. We should find him. Surely he'll know something."

"That will be unnecessary."

All four of them looked at their cloaked companion. The voice had been a strange one compared to what any of them might have expected.

"…And… why would that be?" asked Sturden.

"I will tell you why, but first you must come with me." Came the evasive reply.

Cral's eyes narrowed. He disliked being unable to see the person's face. "Why should we trust you? How do we know you aren't a spy for Ganondorf?" He whispered.

"You will have to take my offer on trust." Said the cloaked person.

Stagrim frowned for a few moments, and then stood slowly. "Agreed." He said. "But I will go alone."

"We have an accord then. Follow me." Said the cloaked figure, and left the tavern, Stagrim close behind.

Cral, Felix, and Sturden sat nervously for a full twenty minutes. No sign of their captain.

"It was a trap." moaned Cral. "A trap."

"Wait a few minutes longer." Said Felix. "He might return safely."

At that moment, Stagrim returned. He sat down again.

"Where is our cloaked friend?" Sturden inquired.

Stagrim grinned. "Later, friends, later. For now, we celebrate."

"Celebrate what?" asked Cral.

"The downfall of Ganondorf." Replied Stagrim. He ordered a drink, and took a long drought.

Felix leaned over and whispered to Sturden: "I just hope whatever's made the captain so optimistic is true. What could that cloaked one have told him?"

Sturden sipped his freshly ordered drink before replying. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it must be bad news for Ganondorf, and that's good news to me."

Felix nodded, and raised his own mug to his lips. "To bad news for Ganondorf." He muttered.

Bruustow's Miniblin army was making slower progress than he'd hoped.

The long march from the Black Caves to Hyrule was proving to be an arduous venture, and the journey was taking its toll on his troops. They were weary, sore, and hungry. The provisions were waxing low.

They had traveled for days through the rocky ravines and cliffs of the wastelands. Everything looked the same here, every mile progressed felt the same.

But today was fresh; today was different. The Miniblin General could feel it in his bones. This day would bring a change to the monotony of the landscape.

And he was correct.

They had only marched for three hours when one of the advance scouts came running back.

"General Bruustow! The field!" he cried out with his squeaky voice. "The field! We've reached the field!"

Bruustow smiled. He now saw it in the distance. The tall hills, the clumps of trees, the endless expanse of green grass.

The Miniblin cheered, their voices joining in a great roar of elation.

"Run for it, boys, we'll feast tonight!" cried Bruustow.

The army tore across the stony ground. Closer… closer… there!

Another shout of success echoed throughout the canyon they had just left behind.

They were another step closer to Ganondorf.

King Zora was growing restless.

Link had been gone a full week. While he was not expected to return for another two at the least, the King was still worried about the Hero. In the short time he'd known the boy, he'd become quite fond of him. He'd hate to wait and wait, only to eventually find the boy had failed.

A chill ran down his back fin. No, no, it wouldn't do to think that way.

But the thought of inactivity was also intolerable. He was a person of action. He had to think of something he could do to help Link however he could.

And then he had an idea. A good idea.

"General Haelberg!" He called.

It was brilliance. Pure brilliance. In those brief moments after Zelda had been taken away, Ganondorf had devised a quick, but elaborate, scheme.

That scheme was now in full effect.

Threatening the people with death was one thing, but people so often would risk death for something they believed in that it was not enough.

No, Ganondorf Dragonmire had used those moments of thought wisely.

It was one thing to try and overthrow a new king when you lived within the castle.

It was entirely another when you did not, and the castle was heavily defended.

And so, a massive forced exodus began. The entirety of the castle, the grounds, and the market areas were systematically taken care of. With each new day, less and less people were within the confines of the thick walls.

Today, the last of the Hylians would be evicted.

The traitor was sitting on his large new throne leisurely. It was nice to call it his own.

He chuckled. The other stages of his plan were also brilliant ones.

By executing the best known former leaders of Hyrule's army, he ensured that the rebellion would be far less organized when it actually began in real.

But the master stroke was against his true enemy. The hammer would fall hardest on Link, on the Hero.

He remembered well those hours in his old chamber, writing draft after draft of a wanted notice. Most seemed inadequate, others, too detailed.

And then, after settling on a draft, he had called for the mask maker.

Stalg's troops had found him holed up in his small hut, frantically scribbling something on a sheet of paper. The old man had thrown it into the fire before it was taken.

But Ganondorf minded little about the mysterious message. He had had only one thing in mind when the mask maker entered his chamber.

The man was an artist. A carver. Surely he could make a good likeness of a person on paper.

And, threatened that the Princess would be killed if he did not, the mask maker did. He drew a very close likeness of the Hero. Close enough that Ganondorf had shuddered when he saw it, remembering the look of pure loathing the boy had given him as the Gueredo was whisked away.

Scores of Moblin riders had been sent in every direction, posting the warrant in every town, every city, every home.

The very thought of the boy avoiding every person in Hyrule was ludicrous. Someone was bound to see him, someone who would recognize him from the picture.

Someone was bound to turn him in, surely.

Ganondorf smiled.

But even if they didn't, there was still no hope for the Hero now.

He had been doomed from the moment the Shadow had been summoned…

A tall Goron stood, arms folded, guarding the entrance to the chief's quarters.

He was a hulking great Goron, slightly larger than most. His build was massive, all bulging muscles and thickset limbs. His head was, like all Gorons, round and almost pumpkin shaped, with a short, but thickly braided, shock of dark hair sticking up from the top of his head. His skin was colored like sandy dirt, and his eyes like dark coals. Intricate tattoos covered his shoulders and back.

He tapped his large fingers impatiently on his arm. It was long passed time. Surely something had been decided by now.

He looked left and right, hoping no one would see him, and slowly stepped back. He leaned his head against the door, listening intently.

"..will not stand for this, brothers." He heard a voice say. It sounded like Gar-Mako.

"But we have waited too long." Came another voice. He did not recognize this one. "Big Brother, what say you?"

A deep, powerful voice resonated. "I, too, have long felt that we are foolish to wait so long, Lag-Hogim. But we still have little information. The sight seers can only tell us so much, and in these times, they are limited even in their own sight."

"All this talk of sights and times brings moldy stones to my belly, brothers." Broke in the other voice, belonging to the one Big Brother had called Lag-Hogim. "What are we to do for our friends in the lower valley?"

"Peace, Brother." Came yet another voice. "All will be decided in time. For now, we await Big Brother's decision."

At that moment, the large Goron heard footsteps in the hall. He jerked back to attention, eyes forward, arms folded. It would not do to be seen eavesdropping on the meetings of the Big Brother.

A fat Goron lumbered over to him. "Greetings, brother."

He sighed. "Greetings, Tab-Nedoc."

Tab-Nedoc laughed, his fat belly bouncing. "In their council yet again, Bor-Felig?"

Bor-Felig nodded, doing his best to stay alert, on guard. His shift would end when the meeting broke up.

"Yes, brother. Yes."


	25. Chapter 24 - The Ghost Speaks

**Part 4: Journeys**

 **Chapter 24: The Ghost Speaks**

Link's mind was in turmoil. His anger at the Ghost King had never truly left him. It had only brooded within, increasing gradually. He felt betrayed, used.

He refused to face the Ghost King. He stood with his back to the King, fists clenched.

"You are angry with me."

Link remained stolidly silent. If he started talking, the roof might fly from the hut.

"I should have acted differently, you think. You believe that by remaining silent about the curse, silent about the Oracle, I doomed Ereb."

The words were not ones Link would have chosen, but the message was the same. He had heard the Ghost King's words in the forest of "fate" and "paths" and "destiny" for weeks, echoing around in his mind whenever he thought of Ereb. It was cattle dung, all of it. The King had tricked Link into taking the mask with him, and in so doing, sealing Ereb's fate.

His eyes filled with tears at the thought of it. Ereb had tried to warn him. He'd tried to tell him. But Link had only said that it would be fine, because the Ghost King had told them to take it with them.

A single tear rolled down Link's face, and with it, a wall broke within him. His anger, his resentment, his pain, rushed out like a torrential flood. He turned on the Ghost King.

The King's glowing face was infuriatingly blank. Link found that he didn't even have the ability to speak anymore. Ereb was doomed, lost, alone, and probably dead. He shook his head.

He stormed from the hut, and set off to the east.

Ereb awoke.

He saw the sky.

It was a piercing blue sky, clear and vast. Great rolling clouds sailed across its expanse like mounds of thick cotton floating in a stream. The sun was hidden.

He felt the air.

It was cold. Very cold. Gusts of a chilling breeze bit into him like needles, causing a chill to run down his spine.

He heard music.

Music that was haunting, music that was enveloping, music that was growing slowly louder.

He remained absolutely still for a long time, doing nothing but blink and breathe. His mind was unnaturally alert. But he was, consciously, doing more than feeling and hearing and seeing.

He was _being_.

In this place, he _was_ the sky. He _was_ the clouds. He felt free. He felt exhilarated. He knew that nothing could break him; nothing could know all his endless greatness.

He _was_ the air; an icy, swift stream of the sky's current that swept about in a seemingly random course.

He _was_ the music, singing in the voices of instruments. With a deep breath, he shoved out his emotion in the trill of a fife, the blare of a horn, the full, sweet notes of an ocarina.

And in this place, he knew, he _knew_ , that nothing could ever harm him. That nothing could ever change him.

And then, a strange thing entered his thoughts.

 _But where_ am _I?_ It asked, sounding frightened and confused.

A jolt ran through him. The clouds broke into thunder. The sky bled rain. The wind was thrown off its invisible tacks. The music became a discordant racket.

And he was alone, feeling cold, wet, and terrified.

The rain had stopped, but had it ever really begun? And the music, the music had left also, to be replaced with the haunting silence of this place.

 _But where is this place?_ Asked the thing again.

He blinked. He sat up.

He was sitting on a tall hill in the center of a great, green field. A distant forest loomed up in the far horizon. Tiny mountains, like infant teeth, stood far away to his left. There was nothing in the other two directions but endless grasses.

He stood, and was alarmed to feel something hard beneath his boot.

He looked down.

It was half of Majora's Mask.

Memories flooded his mind, overwhelming the levies and washing his consciousness with perception.

The mask's flaming body, its stone sword, its haunting words…

 _But you are mine. You hated me long, but I sensed greatness in you. That is why I chose you._

The huge, white eyes, returned from the Sacred Chamber…

 _Break the night! Break the night before the stroke of twelve!_

His own voice, shouting defiantly, _I am not yours. I am a Knight of Hyrule! I serve the King._

And the knife, the knife that had been plunged into his back by the old, story telling woman, flashing through the air as he brought it down with all his strength upon the mask.

The mask had broken, and the moon had split in two…

Then nothing.

He dropped to his knees, and picked up the piece of the cursed object that had tormented him for so long.

And as he did so, he felt a strong, inexplicable desire to keep it.

He put it into his side pouch.

And as he did so, everything became clear.

He was in Hyrule.

A strange feeling hammered in his heart. He looked about him again.

The forest… was it the Kokiri Forest he was seeing so far off?

And the field… surely it was Hyrule Field, the same field he had galloped over for days with Link and Sir Marcus.

And the mountains. He looked up at the sky. It was clearly afternoon. He noted the direction of the sun.

The mountains were in the east.

And as he realized, with that final conformation, that he was back in Hyrule, back home…

The hammering in his heart quickened, the feeling intensified.

He whooped with the emotion, danced with it, rolled with it, ran with it, jumped with it, and dropped to the ground in exhaustion with it before he recognized its identity.

It was joy.

He was home.

And as he let it sink in, as he panted for breath…

A light erupted before him.

But this light was not the light of the cursed mask, with its evil eyes. This light was not of the moon, crashing down upon the clock town. This light was not the light he'd seen when he was stabbed by the old woman, nor the light that had faded when the white eyed creature had appeared.

This light was whole, this light was comforting, this light was a light he knew. A light that brought back memories of Link laughing when he saw him alive, of Zelda smiling at Ereb's antics, of Old Majora's look of measureless pride upon hearing his work complimented, of Sir Marcus' protective, tireless watch keeping through the long, cold nights.

This light was a light he had seen before.

And from the light…

Came the Ghost of the King.

Link was having even more trouble making his way along the rocky beach than he had had the last time. The rocks seemed wetter, the water seemed colder when he fell in, and the bruises he got for his efforts stung worse.

But the worst thing about this second trek was the bitter reality that he would never be truly free from worry.

Jade had seemed like a beacon of hope, a person who offered to give him a place to rest, to forget about his troubles for a night spent in a room where he would not have to sleep with one eye open.

Instead, he had found nothing but more confusion and anger in the hut.

The constant banter about an Oracle, the avoidance of directly answering him, the endless stories about other things; things he had grown to hate about the Ghost King, and things that seemed to follow him wherever he went. Jade had done the same thing.

But even this was not the thing that bothered him the most on his miserable trek.

The thing that most bothered him, that most gnawed at the frayed edges of his self restraint, the thing that brought the most hatred bubbling up within him, was the blank face the Ghost had had.

The expressionless, guiltless, _uncaring_ look that still kept returning and returning to Link's mind. The look that made him storm across the beach, instead of treading carefully. The look that spoke volumes, volumes about the way the King had used Link and Ereb, had tricked them, how the King had _doomed_ them…

And hadn't cared. Hadn't cared a lick.

More than ever, Link wished for the familiar weight of the _Vilan_ at his hip.

With a sword, he could fight. With a sword, he could kill.

And he found himself wishing that something _would_ attack, that something _would_ try and kill him.

For he would return the favor a thousand fold.

He stopped abruptly in his tracks, and whirled around.

He could still see the hut in the far distance.

He raised a fist. Miserable, hateful, angry tears poured down his face. Tears that spoke of his loss. Tears that spoke of his hopelessness that he would ever see Ereb alive again. Tears that spoke of his hatred of the Ghost King, who had betrayed them with his silence.

Who had sent Ereb to his death, and Link on a hopeless quest. A quest that had crossed paths with Ganondorf, who had murdered Sir Marcus.

The Ghost King's blank expression flashed before his eyes again.

"Blast you!" he cried, his voice being swept away with a rising wind. "Blast you!"

He almost slipped on the wet surface of the rock he was standing on, but didn't care.

"I hope that you find your peace in the flames of the Pit! I hope that you suffer for what you did to us! For what you did to Ereb!" He slid a bit.

"May you be forgotten!" He shouted. As he did so, the wind picked up, blowing spray from the lake into his face. Caught by surprise, he slipped, and fell…

Ereb smiled, raising his hand, about to greet the Ghost King, when his vision blurred. He grew terribly cold. The ground felt different beneath his feet.

He found himself atop a mountain. A mountain among many others.

He was standing, ankle deep, in snow. His feet felt wet within his boots.

"Hello?" he called.

" _Hello?_ "


	26. Chapter 25 - Elnor

**Chapter 25: Elnor**

Link slammed down on the ground. He felt an agonizingly painful snap in his leg as it broke.

He screamed with pain.

His left leg stuck out at an awkward angle.

He sat there for what felt like hours, trying desperately to keep from screaming again. It was now coming near midnight, and now that he was crippled, he didn't want to attract any attention that could be dangerous.

After a long while, he decided that he had to move on. He looked about, trying to find a long, stout piece of wood he could use as a crutch. He saw none. Frustration took over. He began to slowly ease himself across the rocky ground, wincing each time something touched his leg.

After an eternity, he found that he had moved perhaps fifty feet. Not bad for the pain he was in. He looked around again. There.

He saw just what he was looking for, wedged between two large rocks. A long, thick staff of hard wood, just long enough to serve him.

He began the painful journey over to it, and finally reached it with sweat pouring down his face and his leg throbbing horribly. With as much strength as he had, he jiggled the wood, pulling gradually on it, easing it out of the clamp-like grip the rocks had on it.

It finally came out. He had sat there for several long moments, catching his breath, when he saw the gaping hole in his plan.

He would never be able to walk, even with the staff, with his leg sticking out as it did.

He cowered at the thought of the pain he would go through, but realizing he had no choice, he removed his sopping wet shirt, and using the rocks as a brace of sorts, he excruciatingly began to straighten his leg as much as possible. When he could bear the pain no longer, he bound it into place with his shirt.

After recovering, he struggled to his feet, using the rocks as support. He gripped the makeshift crutch tightly, its end under his left armpit.

"Here goes." He sighed.

Wincing with each step, he gradually hobbled down the beach. The sound of his crippled walk was strange in the darkness.

 _Thump tap. Thump tap. Thump tap. Thump sploosh._

He looked down. His right foot was underwater. He changed course, heading a bit more north.

 _Thump sploosh. Thump sploosh. Thump tap. Thump tap. Thump tap._

The moon was slowly descending. It would soon be morning. Still he clambered on.

 _Thump tap. Thump tap. Thump tap._

Finally he could go no farther. He was exhausted. He'd been awake for a day and a night. He had to sleep. The sound of his progress was slower.

 _Thump thud. Thump thud. Thump thud._

The fringes of the horizon began to glow dimly. The first birds started chorusing in the forest.

He smiled, bleary eyed and head swimming.

A cave.

Well, not exactly a cave; more of a covered gap in the rocks. But it was safe and secure looking. A place to sleep, to forget the pain he was in.

He struggled to it. Leaning against another rock, he jabbed the staff into the darkness a few times to make sure it was abandoned.

It was.

He eased himself painfully to the ground, and crawled on his back and hands inside. It was just big enough for two Miniblin, or maybe a Bokoblin…

And the perfect size for a broken legged young Knight.

His leg still aching, he fell into a dreamless slumber.

It had been five days of tough travel, and still there were no signs of the Zoras. This was more than disappointing to Elnor, it was devastating.

Elnor was a traveling merchant, or so he called himself. He hunted, skinned, and sold dirt boars. The Zoras were his best customers.

 _Well,_ he corrected himself, _really my_ only _customers._

No one lived out here in the remote regions of Lake Hylia's borders. The only beings who ever came here were the Zoras, the birds, and, of course, Elnor himself.

He hunted the dirt boars in the fringes of the nearby forest they frequented. He would skin the carcasses, eat what he needed, store what he could spare, bag the rest, and sell it to the Zoras. They came to this area biweekly to buy his wares. The meat was to their taste. The skins were valuable to them, because they were waterproof.

Elnor always laughed at the irony of this. Water dwellers who needed waterproof skins to make waterproof items. It was the perfect circle.

But this week was different. This week was strange.

He had wended his way across the rocky beaches for five days, stopping at all the regular places they would meet, and had met no one. The skins were drying out, and the meat was beginning to spoil. He had to find buyers today, or else cut his losses and hope for a better commute next week.

He sat down dejectedly on a large rock, and built a small camp fire. The sun had risen a few hours ago. He cooked a small portion of the boar meat. The rest had… he thought a few moments. …Perhaps two days left before it went totally bad.

It took that long to travel from the hunting grounds to the beach. He must leave today.

As he sat there chewing, he heard something. Something he had heard before in these parts.

The sound brought back bad memories.

He silently set down his food, and pulled a large hunting knife from his belt, listening intently. There it was again, a snorting, snuffling sound.

He crouched, and crept toward the noise. Peeking around a rock, he saw the source.

A large, grey creature with a long snout and long, writhing tentacles was sniffing around near a small cave. Its eyes were orange and pupil-less. It had no mouth.

Nor, Elnor knew from experience, did it need one.

He scanned the area briefly, looking for the creature's quarry. If it was an animal, killing it would give him several more days out here to search for the Zoras.

If not… He tightened the grip on his knife.

He gasped.

A boot was sticking out of the cave. The creature seemed to have noticed as well. It slithered over to the boot, and tentatively extended its snout, quietly sniffing the air inside the cave.

Elnor hesitated. Perhaps the boot was only that, and no one was in the cave. If so, he didn't want to risk his hide over the fate of a mere boot.

And then, the creature's eyes turned from orange to green.

Someone was in there, alright.

With a loud, bellowing shout, Elnor leaped out at the monster, knife swinging. The creature, caught by surprise, gave a squeal, and crawled away from the cave to face its opponent. Its eyes changer color again, this time to a blood crazed red.

The person in the cave gave a groan. "Stay in there!" cried Elnor, slicing the air before the beast.

The creature squealed again, and charged at Elnor. He side stepped the attack, plunging his knife into the beast's slimy head as it passed. Its eyes turned violet.

Wailing with pain, the monster raced to the lake, where it slithered into the water in retreat. But even if it was fleeing, Elnor knew, the fight was not over. He had only minutes before it would recover, and would come flying out of the water at him with eyes red and tentacles swinging.

He sheathed his knife, and dashed to the cave. He peered in, and was alarmed to see that inside was only a boy of perhaps sixteen, who had a broken leg.

"No wonder." He muttered. "Hey! Are you alright?" he asked out loud.

"Yes." came a groaned reply. "Thank you."

"Can you get out of there?"

"I'll try."

After several long, desperate moments of gasping with pain, the boy was out. He was pale with weariness and pain, but fortunately, would be fine if that leg mended.

"Here you go." Elnor said kindly, bracing the boy's arm with his shoulder. The boy winced with each step, but they made it back to the campfire.

Elnor sighed with relief. They were safe. The creature wouldn't dare to come near the fire.

"Thank you again." The boy said. "What was that?"

Elnor's face became grim. "If it's all the same to you," he said, "I won't talk about it. One of those cost a friend of mine his life, and that's all I'll say."

The boy nodded. "I'm sorry."

"No matter."

There was silence for several long minutes. Elnor tended the fire, while the boy sat perfectly still. He looked like he was in intense pain. Once the fire had renewed, Elnor said, "Let me help you with that."

The boy nodded, in too much pain to speak. Elnor unbound the leg, and gave the boy the shirt back. He pulled up the pants leg, and studied the wound.

It was nasty looking. The leg had somewhat adjusted to its new position while it was bound, but it was still not straight. A deep purple bruise covered the area, and it was bleeding in a few places from scrapes received in the fall.

Elnor rummaged in his bag for a few moments, emerging with the strongest dirt boar skins he had left, along with two thick arrows, from which he removed the heads and feathers with his knife, and some rope.

"Stay still. This will hurt a lot." He muttered. The boy nodded, jaw tight.

He cleaned the wound with a wet cloth. Then, clearing his throat, he gripped the leg and carefully straightened it. The boy groaned, but said nothing. Then Elnor used the arrows as a splint, with one on each side, and then tightly wrapped the leg with one of the skins. He bound it securely, and then wrapped the rest of the leg with the other skins.

He bound the last skin, and then wrapped the rope around the leg as well, to add extra security. He tied one more knot, checked it, and then smiled at the boy.

"There. That should take care of it for now. He said warmly. The boy tried to smile back, but was only able to summon a grimace of pain.

Elnor stood, and began to cook more of the meat.

"You did a good enough job with the leg the first time." He commented. "How did you break it?"

The boy, who was looking a bit better now that the leg was secure, replied, "The rocks were wet. I was angry." He shook his head. "Not much has changed, actually." He said under his breath.

Elnor heard the last remark, but said nothing. The meat sizzled, and soon there was enough freshly cooked for the both of them.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The boy hesitated. "Link." He finally answered.

Elnor smiled. "Link. A good name there. Simple. Not so elegant as mine, but it does you justice."

Link smiled back. His leg was throbbing less painfully now. "And yours is?"

"Elnor."

"And what do you do, Elnor?"

Elnor laughed. "I hunt dirt boars and sell them to the Zoras."

The boy seemed to be surprised at this. "Zoras?"

"Yes, Zoras. But they've vanished. I've been looking for them for days."

"I can explain that. They've all gathered in Zora's Domain, and are marching to the Kokiri Forest." Said Link.

Elnor chuckled. "Marching? You make it sound as though they are off to war!"

"They are."

The meat Elnor had been chewing caught in his throat. He coughed it out.

"They're going to war?" he gasped. "With who? And how do you know?"

Link felt a stone drop into his stomach. He was exhausted, alright. He'd overstepped. Now he had to either trust Elnor, or come up with a convincing lie.

"Erm… Uh…" he stammered, mind working at furious pace. A third option suddenly appeared. He snatched it. "Uh, tell me, Elnor," he said, "What do you know about Ganondorf Dragonmire?"


	27. Chapter 26 - Journey to the Mountains

p class="p1"span class="s1"strongChapter 26: Journey to the Mountains/strong/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Who?" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link struggled against the urge to sigh with relief. If Elnor didn't know about the goings on in Hyrule, maybe he was safe confiding in him. /span/p  
p class="p4""Have you ever heard of me?" he asked. /p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Heard of you." Elnor repeated, becoming confused. "Well, to be quite honest, no, I haven't. Who are you?"br / /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link emdid/em sigh with relief this time. The warrant may have reached Jade, but it hadn't gone farther than that, or so he hoped. "I am a Knight of Hyrule." He said, his voice dropping down to a low whisper. "What about Sir Marcus. Have you heard of him?"br / /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Elnor's eyes lit up. Heard of Sir Marcus, the most famous Knight to have lived in the past twenty years? Heard of Sir Marcus, the man who had fought in the battle of the Western Sea? Heard of Sir Marcus, who had saved Elnor's own life in the battle? /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Of course I have! He is a fine man, a great man!" he rumbled, a beaming smile on his face. "We fought together years ago! That was back in my army days, of course, before I left Hyrule for the simpler life." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link nodded. "I was his squire." He said. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Elnor doffed his cap. "Well, I'll be. The squire of Sir Marcus, the man who saved my life, is the same person I find with a broken leg in the middle of nowhere!" he burst into laughter. "And how is the old man?" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link sighed. Old man? Sir Marcus had seemed young to him. So young…/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Dead." He muttered. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Elnor's smile vanished. "He is?" /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link nodded. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Dead." Elnor whispered. "That old fighter. Gone."/span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link's gaze was fixed on the fire. His thoughts filled with images of another fire, one not of heat and light, but of power and will. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"A fire he would never see again. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""There, now. It'll be fine." Said Elnor. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link realized he was crying. Somehow, he didn't care. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""He was a brave man, Marcus. A strong man. I have to say, Link, I envy you greatly for the time you spent as his squire." Elnor continued. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link sighed. His tears had dried up. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Just like his hope./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Elnor seemed to be pondering something. He clapped Link on the back. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Where are you headed then?" he asked. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""Death Mountain." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Death Mountain? Now Elnor was really surprised. This boy was going to see the Gorons, perhaps even the Shiekah! /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2""What for?" he asked. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link looked up at the kindly faced man. "If it's all the same to you," he said, "I won't talk about it. I'll only say that Sir Marcus wanted me to go there, and that's all I'll say." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Elnor smiled. "Then if you'll have me, I'd be glad to help the squire of the man who saved my life." /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Link's relief was beyond words. "Thank you." Was all he said. "Thank you." /span/p  
p class="p4"*/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"They traveled slowly over the next five days. Link still used the staff he'd found as a crutch, and the going was tough. As they wended their way east, they soon left the rocky beaches of Lake Hylia behind, venturing into the most remote areas of Hyrule Field. But this area was not like the field Link knew./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"This was miles and miles of sparse vegetation, with a monotonous landscape broken occasionally by tall hills or distant trees. This was parched throat and aching muscles, miserable days and freezing nights./span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"And still they continued. Now they reached barren cliffs and steep inclines. The mountains looked very near. And despite Link's joy at finally having his destination so close, sometimes in the dark stretches of the night he would feel unsafe. Like the shadows themselves were eyeing him, waiting for him to be off his guard. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"But he knew this was ridiculous. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"Shadows couldn't hurt him. /span/p  
p class="p3"span class="s2"*/span/p  
p class="p4"And on the sixth day, they reached the mountains. /p 


	28. Chapter 27 - Big Brother

**Chapter 27: Big Brother**

Tab-Nedoc was overlooking the valley.

His fat girth suited him well up here, in the colder areas of Death Mountain's heights. He was warm and calm. Nothing that happened in the valley far below escaped his intense gaze.

For he was the Watchman of the Mountain, chosen for his bright mind and sharp eye. He reported the events of the day each evening to Big Brother himself. For the seven years Tab-Nedoc had had this responsibility, there had rarely been any need for alarm in what he saw.

Until today.

Kakariko Village, the inhabitants of which were often known as "friends in the valley", was having some sort of trouble. Two small figures had entered the village a quarter of an hour ago, and their arrival had caused an uproar in the village.

It looked, (of course, even he, with his excellent eye sight could not tell for sure from this distance,) but it _looked_ as if the two figures were being taken forcefully to the village mayor.

It was time to interfere. The last time this had happened, the villagers had regretted it ever since.

With a leap, the Goron curled into a tight, boulder – like ball, and rolled to Big Brother's quarters at top speed.

The two tiny figures were furious and terrified at the moment. They had entered Kakariko Village peacefully, and were now being dragged and shoved to a meeting house by a mob of angry villagers.

"What do you want with us?" bellowed Elnor, for it was he and Link who had entered the village.

He got no answer but the never ending shouts and screams of the mob.

Elnor shook his head at Link. "This is wonderful."

Link glared around him. More than ever he wanted the _Vilan_ in his fist. Not to kill these people; they were obviously just as terrified as he and Elnor; but to menace them with it, to scare them off so that they could escape.

Then he scoffed at himself. Escape. That was likely. He might make it ten feet with his broken, though mending, leg before he was overcome by the mob.

They were channeled to the front of the crowd, and the door of the meeting house slammed open. A tall, powerful looking man stormed out, followed by a man so old and frail he looked as though he might be blown away in a passing breeze.

The crowd started shouting louder than ever, each trying to get the attention of the mayor.

The tall man put an end to it. "Quiet! Every one, quiet!" he shouted, voice echoing in the valley.

The noise stopped abruptly.

The old man stepped forward, looking put out.

"Now," he said, in a surprisingly strong voice, "Might I ask all of you what the cause of this is?"

Wrong question. The ruckus started again twice as loud. The tall man restored order again, and then the old man revised his question. He pointed at a single person.

"You. You tell me the cause of all this."

The person he had selected, a short, wiry woman with angry looking eyes, launched into an explanation. "Well, mayor, These two _intruders_ came walking into our village fifteen minutes ago. They started asking about the _Shiekah_ -" she spat at Elnor's feet- "-and wanted to buy our wares."

The mayor looked perplexed at this, but said nothing.

"Then, someone recognized _that_ one…" she jabbed a bony finger at Link, "from the warrant that was put out a week ago. Word spread, and we brought him here to you, Mayor."

The old man sighed. The explanation made sense…

…Save for one thing.

He set a strict eye on Link. "And what did you want the Shiekah for?" he demanded.

Link tried not to roll his eyes. The blustering, exasperated, ridiculous way everyone acted around here was driving him crazy.

"I was told to find them." He said shortly.

The Mayor's eyes narrowed. "Told… by whom?" he asked.

Link refused to answer. Even if they believed him, it wouldn't stop them from asking more questions, questions that could be potentially dangerous to himself, Elnor, and possibly even to Zelda.

 _If she's still alive, that is._ Came the miserable thought before he could stop it.

The Mayor seemed even more put out by Link's refusal to answer. He walked inside, and returned holding a piece of paper. Link recognized it. It was the warrant.

"And what about this? What have you to say about it?" the Mayor cried. He began to read it. " _Wanted: Sir Link of Hyrule, traitor to the crown, murderer of Sir Marcus, and former squire of that Knight, who has escaped custody. Suspected to be traveling alone."_

He sneered at Elnor. "Well, that suspicion is incorrect."

Link glanced at Elnor. He had not told him anything more about his reasons for heading to Death Mountain, his caution, and the other things, but now that the warrant was being read, he wondered what his companion would think.

Elnor returned the look. He looked somewhat confused, but not distrustful, and not angry. Link took a modicum of relief from that.

"And this, about being a traitor to the crown, and about _murdering_ Sir Marcus! And you were his own squire?" the Mayor blustered. "But the likeness in unmistakable! This gives me no choice. I sentence you to-"

"Stop." Came a deep, powerful voice from the back of the crowd.

The villagers, Link and Elnor turned as one to see the source of the voice. They gasped.

It was a giant Goron. From his massive muscled arms to his chiseled from rock face, everything about him spoke of power and strength. His straight hair was thick and spiked, and had turned to a deep silver color. A large tattoo of a flame was engraved into his chest.

Flanking him were two other Gorons: a fat, short one and a tall, strong one. Both were heavily tattooed.

The silver haired Goron spoke again. "What ails Kakariko, Brother?" he thundered.

"B-B-Big Brother." The Mayor stammered. The leader of the Gorons had only visited Kakariko twice in his memory.

The fat Goron strode forward. The crowd parted to admit him. He took the warrant from the Mayor, studied the picture, and faced Link. He smiled. "You." Was all he said.

Bor-Felig was back on guard duty, and he was loathing every moment of it.

It wasn't the boredom. He had learned to cope with boredom at a very young age, as had all other Goron children, with the help of a simple method.

If you complain of having nothing to do, then you work, and work hard.

The treatment had a high success rating.

It also wasn't the curiosity of what was happening on the other side of the door he guarded that made him so frustrated. He had learned the solution to this, as well, as a young child, but not from the elders.

He had learned, himself that his sated curiosity was often much more satisfying than ignorant morality. He had listened through the door many times, though this put his job at risk. The run-in with Tab-Nedoc the other day had proven that.

No, it was neither of these.

It was the fact that he was a guard at all.

For him, the son of Kor-Felig, great warrior of the Four Year Skirmish, to be positioned as a mere _guard_ set his teeth on edge. He should be a warrior, a member of the Council, a Council Bodyguard at the least!

He was a Goron, and that alone meant pride. But Bor-Felig was an exceptionally proud Goron.

And he would have his revenge one day.

He would take vengeance on those who had kept him down, on those who expected him to stay put, never having glory, never having wealth, never having his name carved on the Wall of Remembrance.

But that would change someday…

He vowed it.

The meeting being guarded by Bor-Felig was a strange one.

Firstly, all of the Council Members were attending. This was unusual, as a full gathering of the Council was difficult to organize, especially in the brief amount of time this meeting had allowed. Usually Council meetings were held by whoever could show up.

Secondly, Big Brother was late. This was more than rare; it _never_ happened. Big Brother had always been early, been on time, been the foundation of all the Council since his rise to the position.

Finally, not all of the beings present were Gorons.

There were two humans, as well.

Big Brother entered the room with a loud bellow: "All rise to greet the Hero!"

The command was instantly obeyed, but it took several long moments for the other Gorons to absorb what Big Brother had actually said.

The Hero!

They knew of the boy's existence, of course. The Pale King had told them of that. He had also told them of the boy's imminent arrival.

He had not told them how young the Hero actually was.

The Council Members saw a mere boy enter the room, of perhaps fourteen or fifteen summers, with a broken, bandaged leg.

Some silently scoffed. How could the boy be the Hero?

Others fell into depression. How could the boy help Hyrule?

But some, not many, but a few of the Council Members, felt happy.

There might just be some hope after all.

The Gorons knew far more of the activities throughout Hyrule than most, because of their good trading relationship with the merchants of Hyrule Castle.

They had heard of Ganondorf's uprising.

They were not happy about it.

And when the Gorons become angry, things happen.

Big things…


	29. Chapter 28 - Shadow and Flames

**Chapter 28: Shadow and Flames**

Link was wandering awkwardly through the vast halls of Death Mountain. His leg was much closer to being sound again, thanks to the constant fussing by Goron doctors and herbalists. Their treatments and potions were significantly cutting the time he would spend on crutches.

He didn't want to think about what had happened in the Council meeting two weeks earlier; it made him angry and sad.

He had learned many things in the meeting.

He had first learned that the Gorons were ready to fight Ganondorf. His expulsion of the townspeople in Hyrule Castle had cut off their trade routes, and thus, they had stopped receiving the goods they needed.

This had heartened him. At least part of his mission would be a success; the Zoras would not fight alone.

And then had come news that flattened his hopes.

The Shiekah were all dead.

They had been found, murdered in their beds, two months ago. None had lived.

The only clue as to who might have committed the atrocity was a bit of cloth, torn from the robe of the murderer.

The cloth was of Gueredo design.

Then he had learned that the Ghost King had visited the Gorons and announced his arrival weeks before. When he had heard that, his anger had come rushing back, but now he realized that he should have expected it.

After all, he had told the Zoras, why not the Gorons?

He and Elnor had been treated like kings during the time they remained here. Link had now shared nearly everything about his journey, from the time he, Ereb and Sir Marcus had left Hyrule Castle to the day he had broken his leg, alone and miserable, on the rocky beach of Lake Hylia.

The one thing that would make this perfect would be if Ereb were here with him.

He spotted movement in the corner of his eye; someone was hiding in the shadows of a corner.

He ignored the sudden wave of anxiety that knotted his stomach. Why should the sight make him feel so… so terrified? It made no logical sense. He had often seen young Gorons sitting in the corners in this hall; why should this be any different?

He looked at the corner in suspicion, just to ease his mind.

Nothing was there.

He shook the feeling. There were many doorways along this hall; he had probably just seen a Goron walking past one.

Something seemed to whisper in his ear.

 _This way._

The voice didn't startle him. It didn't worry him. In some strange way, it sounded like his own.

Perhaps his subconscious was contacting him.

The thought struck him as strange.

He obeyed the voice.

It led him into a narrow corridor. Doors slowly passed as he pulled himself along with his crutches.

 _Left._

He stopped, and opened the door on his left. It lead into another hall, much smaller than the one he had just left, but far more grand.

 _The door._

A door stood at the end of the elaborately decorated hall, a door covered with strange symbols inlayed with gold.

He reached it.

He opened it.

A blast of hot air struck him.

He winced.

 _Go in._

He obeyed.

He entered the chamber. The door slammed behind him.

He gasped.

He found himself in a massive, cave-like area, standing on a rock ledge that crisscrossed narrowly throughout the chamber. Leaping, bubbling, flaming lava danced far beneath him. A fall would mean a long drop into a horrific death.

As his eyes became more adjusted to the dim orange glow that lit the chamber, he realized where he must be.

In Death Mountain's fiery core.

And as he began to see more clearly, he noticed that the center of the chamber was taken up almost entirely by a massive rock ledge, wide enough that there was practically no risk of a fall.

And in the center of the massive ledge was a pedestal.

A pedestal that held a sword.

The _Vilan._

Unbelieving, stunned, Link sped as quickly as his crutched would allow to the pedestal.

And upon arriving, he realized that this sword was not the _Vilan._

It was of similar shape, and its blade sparkled as had the _Vilan_ , but it was not the _Vilan._ Its hilt, cross-guard and pommel were a deep blue. An inscription he could not read flowed along the blood channel.

And something spoke to him. It was not the voice that had lead him here… no, that voice had been a sibilant whisper, an echo of a dark thought.

This was as loud and triumphant as a fanfare. It said no words, as the other voice had, but its message was no less clear, no less sure. In fact, it was more so.

And he obeyed this voice as well.

He dropped his crutches. He tested his leg, putting more and more weight on it. He winced when he got too far. It wasn't yet healed, but he could at least walk.

And walk he did.

Across the ledge. Towards the pedestal. Towards the sword.

And he reached for it.

His fingers wrapped around its deep blue hilt. He found his stomach fluttering.

He pulled.

The sword slid free, smoothly and easily.

And it shone as it came free; it shone brighter than the _Vilan_ ever had, even when Link and Ereb had raised them as one on that morning so long ago.

And as he gripped it, as he felt its weight, its length, its balance, he felt stronger. Braver. Better. As determined and hopeful as he had been on the morning after the Graveyard attack.

He barely noticed the fact that he could put his whole weight on his leg now. He barely noticed that the chamber grew darker as the blade grew lighter. He barely noticed that the voice from earlier was no longer in his head, but in the room, just behind him.

"No!" it was screaming, its voice almost a howl of rage.

And the next thing he _did_ fully notice was that he was suddenly locked, blade to blade, with a Shadow that was his identical image. Whose eyes shone just as red and wickedly as Link's did blue and defiantly. Whose mouth was curled in a snarl, as Link's was the same.

The Shadow had a black hilted sword. It was also identical to the one Link wielded.

Their blades scraped against each other as the two warriors, the two Heroes, the two _Links_ , struggled to gain the upper hand.

And strangely, Link was unsurprised by the attack.

As their efforts became more and more titanic, as their snarls and gleaming eyes widened more and more, as their panting grew faster and faster…

…Link realized that he had known this was going to happen long ago.

He had learned it from the one he now hated, who had betrayed him.

As their blades separated and clashed again and again, he heard the Ghost King's words echoing within his mind as though from a great distance.

 _There is a prophecy. A prophecy that speaks of a shadow of the Hero. A shadow that is relentless, a shadow whose power knows no bounds. A shadow created by the Dark Power. Beware, Link. Very soon, you shall meet your superior. A beast so wicked and so terrible that not even Ganondorf can truly control him. He is your match in every way, and he will soon be on the hunt…_

The lighting of the chamber pulsated with each blow. The shining sword met the dark one. The dark sword met the shining one. The lava far below was cast into fiery turmoil.

And then the red eyes met the blue ones. The darkness challenged the light, and the light beckoned mockingly.

And it was then that the Shadow realized.

The prophecy had been wrong.

The Shadow, the Hero's superior, was diminishing. The blade the Hero had claimed was greater than the Shadow's.

Twilight invaded the chamber.

Impass.

Link stepped a pace to the left. The shadow matched his movement. Link raised his blade. The Shadow mirrored him. Link glanced at the sword in his hand, and felt a jolt of shock.

For the script on the blood channel was changing. It was translating itself, in impossible ways, into the familiar language of Hylian.

The words he could now understand gave him a last surge of strength; a final shove, a climax blow.

 _Trust the blade when shadows await thee, and know thy strengths, whatever they may be._

The light dealt the darkness a killing blow to the neck.

The darkness receded as its foul head toppled, rolling off of the battleground, and falling, disappearing forever in a spurt of flame.


	30. Chapter 29 - Bonds Renewed

**Chapter 29: Bonds Renewed**

And then Link was alone in the chamber.

He found himself horrified at the thought of what had just happened. In essence, he had just killed himself, hadn't he? A dark twin, bent on his destruction, but a part of himself nonetheless.

Or was it actually part of him? Was it something connected to him in any way beyond appearance? Was it a piece of him, or a piece of Ganondorf, twisted into his own shape to mock him?

He shoved the thought aside.

He watched the Shadow's body whisk away into mist, and then into nothingness. And as it disappeared, he felt an unfathomable wave of relief and power.

More than power. A wave of confidence. A surge of hope. A tsunami of assurance.

It was as if he had been asleep in the night, and now he was awakening to see the sun rising above him.

He barely thought. He hardly felt. He fully _knew._

He knew that he could do it. Could defeat Ganondorf. Could save Zelda. Could help Ereb. Could avenge Sir Marcus.

And it was with this knowledge that he walked, half aware of his actions, back across the spider web of ledges, up to the door. That he gave a powerful shove and the door swung open. That he stepped out into the hall, through the corridor and back through the other hall to the exit of the Goron abodes.

His unknown quest lay at Death Mountain's peak.

He didn't know how he knew. Neither did he care anymore.

He set off, climbing cliffs and trudging up paths. He never stopped to rest. He once would have needed to.

This _morning_ he would have needed to.

But now, he was changed. Now, he was different. He had slain the Shadow. He'd shaken off a weight he never knew he'd had.

And he sat down on a boulder near the summit of the volcano, staring out into the East, towards the other mountains.

And he saw something.

And he watched it for nearly an hour, slowly wandering its way through the lowest passes and paths of the small neighboring mount. It had a short way to go to reach the bottom. It finally reached the foot of the other rocky mountain, and stopped there.

Though he knew not what it was, knew not if its destination was Death Mountain, knew not what was going on, Link found himself running pell-mell back down the paths, jumping down from the lower cliffs, quickly descending the higher ones, sprinting with a strength he did not possess, through the Goron city, out the gates, past Kakariko, and towards the other mountain.

Something urged him on. Something beyond his own will was giving him strength, giving him drive, giving him power.

And he stopped three miles from the mountain. The thing he had seen descending its lower slopes was much closer now. It scrambled down the final foothill of the small mount, and walking slowly towards Link.

It came closer and closer, gradually approaching.

Link waited for it. He laid his hand on his sword hilt. He strained his eyesight, but could not make out what it was. The thing had spotted him as well, and stopped, raising a hand over its eyes to block the sun from its vision.

Link and the thing moved slowly, carefully, towards each other. One pulled a sword. One reached down and grabbed a stout stick.

Neither knew what to expect of their likely opponent.

And then Link dropped his sword. He couldn't breathe.

The thing threw aside its makeshift weapon.

Link began to walk slowly towards it in a trance.

The thing broke into a stumbling run.

Tears overflowed from Link's eyes, spilling onto his cheeks and down his neck, but he didn't notice them. He sped his movement until it matched the thing's.

They met halfway.

Both were enveloped in a broiling turmoil of emotions. They embraced, they cried, they laughed, their jaws hung slack in disbelief.

Ereb and Link were reunited.

Elnor saw Link enter the gates with another youth of about the same age, arms around each other's shoulders. They laughed and bantered as old friends do. They both looked as though they had wept the weeping of one who has lost someone close, yet both faces bore the unspeakable joy of relief and surprise.

He smiled.

So this was the Ereb that Link had told him about.

It was a guess, of course, but Elnor had rarely been wrong in a guess.

A boy whose eyes were shining, whose expression was radiant, whose hair was tousled, whose clothes were filthy, whose step was confident, walked with Link.

But Elnor saw beneath all this in an instant.

Being practically alone for so long somehow made him more aware to what people might be like beneath the surface, regardless of how long he had known them. He had learned much about himself over the past two decades, and this gave him insight.

He saw, beneath the shining eyes, marks of terror. Beneath the expression, lines of care that should not mark a boy of his age. Lines that also, now that he noticed it, marked Link's face. Tousled hair and filthy clothes that spoke of a recent harsh lifestyle. A confident step that was a disguise for the horror that threatened the boy at every moment.

And tears came to Elnor's eyes.

Because the two youths he saw were, from what Link had told him, both caught up in a deadly struggle.

Because, though undoubtedly brave, they were cursed with an unshakeable weakness.

Because Ganondorf wanted both of them dead.

And Elnor, at the thought, shook his head, and made a vow in his deepest heart.

A vow that he would honor until the day he died.

 _I will not let them face this alone._

"How long was I gone?" Ereb asked.

The reunited friends had not separated since finding each other again. They had wandered throughout Death Mountain, talking and joking, but had not yet talked of anything that had happened after Ereb's disappearance.

Link answered without even having to think about it; he had, subconsciously, been keeping track of it himself.

"Eight weeks and two days." He said.

Ereb looked stunned. Had he really been gone for over two months? It seemed impossible, but it must be true.

 _Two months…_

Then he asked the other question that had been gnawing at him since they had first entered the Goron city.

"And…" something made him hesitate, but he pushed past it. "…where is Sir Marcus?"

Link sighed.

"I have to tell you a long story." He murmured.


	31. Chapter 30 - Face of the Rebellion

**Part 5: The Gathering**

 **Chapter 30: Face of the Rebellion**

Stagrim, former Captain in the former Army of Hyrule, was smiling.

He was smiling wider than he had in weeks.

The message had traveled quickly; one might say like wildfire, and now, he saw gathered before him scores of beings.

There were Gorons, former merchants of the Castle Market. There were Zoras, former traders and bards. There were soldiers, those who had survived the massacre. There were townspeople, forced from their homes and businesses by Ganondorf's eviction.

They stood, sat, leaned, crouched, and lay all over the place. They assumed scores of expressions, scores of postures, scores of emotions, but they all shared two things in common with one another.

The first was that they all had their eyes on Stagrim.

He cleared his throat. He could feel the leader's eyes boring into his back. His smile faded.

He took a shaky breath, and nodded to himself. "Fellow Hylians." He began, nodding to the townspeople.

"Fellow inhabitants of Hyrule. Brothers." He nodded to the Gorons present. "It is time."

"It is time to cast off Ganondorf's oppression."

There were murmurs of assent throughout the room, and many heads nodded. He gained confidence.

"Time to strike him down, before we wake up one morning to find all hope lost. Time to free ourselves from the tyrant who threatened and betrayed to get the throne. It is time!"

The murmur became a quiet cheer. It was dangerous, very dangerous, what they were doing; everything must be quiet.

One of the former soldiers, who had been sitting, stood. He cast a frown around the room.

"He is right. How long will we cower? How long will we wait for the Hero? How _can_ we, when all this is happening?"

General agreement.

Stagrim smiled again, and a wild hope filled him.

"Then it is time to take action! It is time!" he said. "And we shall have the help of one who has openly defied Ganondorf, who has proven that the traitor is nothing more than that!"

Curiosity and confusion swept over the room in an almost palpable wave. No one knew who was being spoken of.

The leader stepped forward. It was the cloaked person who had led Stagrim outside a few weeks before.

The strange voice filtered out through the shroud. "We have a plan. Makar, the Korok who helped the Princess get home, has been watchful. He sent back word of the arrival of the Zora army many days ago, and today, he has also sent word that the Goron army is preparing to join with them. We shall flee to the Kokiri Forest, and combine our strength with the Zoras and Gorons, and we shall fight!"

The confusion lifted. The curiosity, though unsated, was nevertheless diminished. They would go to war on Ganondorf.

Then, a frowning Sturden spoke up. "And who are you? Why should we trust you, if you cannot reveal your face?"

Silence.

Then, the strange voice again floated through the air.

"Because I have suffered because of Ganondorf. Because I hate him." The person reached up, and grasped the hood with gloved fingers. "And if you want more reason to trust me…"

The hood fell back. The room gasped.

It was more than dangerous to attempt to meet with the Zoras and Gorons in the Kokiri Forest.

It was impossible.

But to the angry, weary Hylians, "impossible" was only a word to describe "difficult".

Moonlight streamed through dark clouds. Cold winds whipped the air.

Sentries patrolled the streets of the village, attempting to prevent this very thing from happening. But they would fail.

Knives, stolen swords, makeshift clubs, and ropes moved.

Knives slithered across sentries' throats. Swords relieved them of their heads and limbs. Clubs sent them into unconscious dreams. Ropes kindly released them from the effort of breathing.

And two hundred silent beings sneaked out of the village, into the night.

They had succeeded.

And then a surviving sentry, a Bokoblin with its throat slit, gave a gurgling cry as with the last of its strength, it managed to pull on a rope, ringing the alarm bell. It died before the bell stopped ringing.

And in the nearby, newly constructed outside barracks, hundreds awoke.

They leapt from hard beds, pulled on clothes, strapped on armor, stepped into boots, pulled swords, snatched spears, and were off in two minutes.

It only took another two to realize where to hunt.

And they charged out of the village after the fleeing rebels.

Sturden had somehow found himself at the rear of the running Hylians. He stumbled over rocks and through tall grass. Sweat poured down his face, but he kept on. They had all heard the warning bell. They all knew that their opportunity to reach the Kokiri Forest was fast fading.

They all defied these facts, and gripped their makeshift weapons tighter.

Old men and women were helped along by young men who could protect them. The wailing of babies was muffled by the embrace of their mother's arms.

But they would not all make it.

Sturden felt something strike him between the shoulder blades, and dropped with a sharp cry. Only a minute later, hundreds of running boots trampled the rest of his life out.

Several others fell to arrows. Still they pressed on.

And then they saw it.

They had chosen to travel in the direction that would most quickly lead them to the forest. It had not let them down.

They could see the tree line rearing up just ahead.

But many eyes that saw it would never see again.

Darknuts and Bokoblins saw to that.

And then they were in, they were at their destination. The elderly, the women, the children rushed on, led by the cloaked person.

The rest ran as well, but would sometimes turn back to repel the enemy.

The battles in the forest fringes were brief and savage. Hylians would fall, having delayed the enemy only momentarily, but they would take several monsters with them.

And then came a sound that none expected.

Horns.

And hundreds of well shot arrows streaked past the trees, through the foliage, and into the bodies of Ganondorf's troops.

The survivors fled from the forest, to tell Stalg of what had happened.

Half of them would die on the journey as they were found by the sharp blades of arrowheads.


	32. Chapter 31 - Bruustow

**Chapter 31: Bruustow**

Link and Ereb stood, side by side, before Big Brother. A large convocation of Gorons was assembled behind them.

Both were wearing freshly cleaned clothes. Both had been given much needed haircuts before the convocation. Link's now fell halfway down his neck, and Ereb's was slightly longer. Both had received new boots. Link still wore his old sword belt, but with a new scabbard, in which hung the shining sword. The Gorons had forged a new sword for Ereb, made in the likeness of the _Vilan_ at his request.

Both wore Goron charm bands around their wrists. These bands were traditional to the convocation, but some superstitious Gorons believed that they brought good luck.

All this had been done in preparation for the convocation. A great ceremony was about to take place, one that had not been enacted for nearly a century.

Humans were being taken in to the Goron Brotherhood.

Big Brother took a deep breath, and let out a very long sigh. He waved his left hand over the heads of the boys.

A deep, rhythmic chanting was taken up by the other Goron Brothers.

 _Homa Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang…_

The words were chilling at first. They subtly reminded Ereb of the voice from the other world.

 _Home Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang…_

And then they became an enveloping chorus. The voices wound tighter and tighter together, blending and merging into one great chanter, one great speaker, one great voice.

 _Homa Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang. Homa Dome Grang…_

The chant grew faster. It grew louder. And as it did so, Ereb found himself inexplicably absorbing its meaning. He could understand the words of the ancient Goron Tongue.

 _Friends now Brothers. Friends now Brothers. Friends now Brothers…_

Big Brother waved his hand again. The chant sounded one more time, and then abruptly stopped. No sound invaded the sacred stillness.

And then Big Brother raised his arm, a charm band identical to the ones worn by Link and Ereb around his wrist.

The other Gorons silently followed his lead. The air was filled with fists.

At a nod from Big Brother, Link and Ereb raised their arms as well.

And then a tapestry behind Big Brother moved. An elderly Goron, far older than any other present, hobbled out leaning heavily on a gnarled stick.

Big Brother slowly turned and bowed to the elder. The elder nodded back, and Ereb could see Big Brother's sand colored face turn several shades of proud red. A wide smile broke unbidden across his face.

The elder smiled back, and then turned to the boys. The only sound was that of his stick.

 _Tap Tap Tap_

The elder looked first to Link. Their eyes met. A calculating, almost shrewd look came upon the elder's face. Link's face became blank. The elder's lips moved, as if he was speaking mutely.

And then, after what seemed an eternity, the elder raised his stick and tapped Link gently on the forehead. He then turned to Ereb.

Their eyes met. A calculating, almost shrewd look came upon the elder's face. Ereb felt himself relax.

He was looking at the Clock Town from atop a high mountain. Fireworks were popping high above the rooftops. The clock tower was sounding a loud note.

He turned his gaze to the sky, and saw that its sole occupant was the bright sun. There was no sign of the cursed moon.

And then he blinked, and was within the Clock Town. A throng of rejoicing people was dancing in a merry circle, singing and crying with joy. He found himself swept into the dance, and for a moment, their joy was his joy, their relief his. A man to his right sang in a high voice.

 _The moon has died, has cracked in two_

 _The wicked eyes have faded too._

 _The night is clear, the dawn at hand_

 _And peace reigns in our blessed land!_

He saw the old man who had commented on the way the moon was the same as always. He sat in a chair, taking deep draughts from his mug, saying, "The moon was (hic) there my whole life, it (hic) was, and now it's gone!" he turned to his companion. "Here's to no more seeing those blasted eyes!"

Their mugs met, but before they returned to their owner's lips, Ereb was somewhere else.

He stood on a shore at night by an endless sea, broken in the far distance by a jagged crag. He found himself drawn to it. He floated over the water at great speed, coming to a stop before the crag.

He gasped. It was no crag.

It was half of the hollow moon. Its eyes were gone. It was nothing but an empty shell. And then he saw the other half, lying in crumbling ruin on a far shore.

He turned to go, but as he did, he felt himself falling.

He sank to the bottom.

And there, on the sea floor he saw something.

It no longer shone. It no longer had power. Its curse had shattered along with its being.

And he smiled.

It was one of Majora's Mask's eyes, attached to the missing half of the mask itself.

And then he felt a tap on his forehead, and heard words spoken by one of a very great age.

 _You freed them. You saved them. It will never again harm anyone._

And he saw the elder, standing before him, wearing a smile.

The elder nodded, and hobbled back over to Big Brother's side, where he raised his arms.

"Brothers!" he cried, and the other Gorons took up the word.

"Brothers! Brothers! Brothers!..."

"What did you see?" Ereb asked Link.

They were walking in the midst of four hundred Gorons, all armed. Big Brother had sent word to King Zora five days before, and now the full might of the Goron army was en route to the Kokiri Forest. They had left Death Mountain four days ago, traveling quickly through the mountains via secret trails and passes. This morning they had arrived in the outer reaches of Hyrule Field, and were now slowing their pace. They had another day to go yet before they reached the eastern fringes of the Kokiri Forest.

Link was silent for a few moments, and then answered, "I saw a black tower in a sea of sand. Ganondorf walked out, and challenged me to a duel."

"Did you win?"

"I don't know."

Ereb, satisfied, prodded no further. Link felt a wave of guilt knot his stomach. He tried to shake it off, but couldn't.

He did know what the outcome of the duel was. He had seen Ganondorf run him through. He had heard the traitor laugh at his huddled corpse.

He could not tell Ereb what he had seen. He didn't want for his friend to worry.

He sighed. Ereb had worried far too much already over the past two months.

They walked on, and at the end of the afternoon could see the distant forest, a smudge on the horizon. The Gorons cheered.

But their cheers were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a horn.

And then another.

And then three Miniblin approached, carrying a white flag.

Big Brother called a halt, and gestured for Link and Ereb to join him.

As the Miniblin approached, Link realized that he recognized one of them. It was the black Miniblin from the Graveyard; the leader of the ambush.

Bruustow paled a bit as he saw the familiar youth glaring at him. He recognized the boy; it was the same one he'd knocked out in the midst of the battle, the one Ganondorf had wanted alive. His eyes narrowed.

The Miniblin halted several feet away from Big Brother, and Bruustow stepped forward.

"I am Bruustow. Leader of the Miniblin of the Black Caves. Are you with or against Ganondorf Dragonmire?"

Big Brother stepped forward as well. "Is that a threat of some kind?" he demanded. "I am Big Brother, Chieftain of the Gorons of Death Mountain, and am against the traitor. Are _you_ with or against Ganondorf Dragonmire?"

The two eyed each other for several long moments. It was finally Bruustow who broke the silence. "I was the leader of the attack on Hyrule's Graveyards, at the orders of Ganondorf. But because of my failure, he swore to kill me. I abandoned him, along with those who remained loyal to me, and we bided our time in the Black Caves for a time. But now, we are ready to strike Ganondorf down."

Big Brother laughed. "Those loyal to you? I see! So you escaped Ganondorf's rage with two followers!"

Bruustow's eyes narrowed even more. He nodded to the Miniblin standing beside him, who blew a horn.

A sudden thunder broke. Two hundred Miniblin poured over a hill and to Bruustow's side, where they stood menacingly, poised to attack at a word.

Big Brother and Bruustow held a silent conversation. They needed not to speak, they were both thinking the same thing. The Gorons could destroy the Miniblin army, but that would cost them numbers and time. On the other hand, both sides had a common enemy. If they joined forces…

"We shall march beside you then." Both said as one.


	33. Chapter 32 - Reunited

**Chapter 32: Reunited**

They entered the Kokiri Forest side by side. Miniblin and Goron. Hero and Helper. Chieftain and Warrior. They all entered side by side, together. Not because of any affection between most of them. Many Gorons were repulsed by the sight of the Miniblin walking beside him. Many Miniblin hated the knowledge that any one of the mountain dwelling brutes would easily best several Miniblin in any struggle.

But there was, nevertheless, a bond that joined all of them into a single force. A tie that was tighter than any affection, stronger than any Brotherhood, closer than any love.

If was the bond of being united; of standing beside a being very different from yourself and knowing that, in a way, you are the same. It was the bond of being united; of the knowledge that regardless of how often you looked over your shoulder, you would never need to be worried that one of the beings different from you was about to stab you in the back.

It was the bond of being united.

And it was the bond of being united on a single Cause; a lone goal that enveloped all who set it. A powerful Cause, a noble Cause, a great Cause. A Cause that would either make or break those who believed in it.

And they believed it for different reasons. They each looked at it from a different view; they each saw something different about it.

But it was still the same Cause. The same bond.

The two boys, Hero and Helper, the two best friends…

The Goron Chieftain and his four hundred warriors, Leader and Led, the powerful army…

The Miniblin General and his two hundred followers, Driver and Driven, the ferocious force…

All were as one under their Cause's banner.

Their Cause was believed in for different reasons, as was said…

…But there was one enemy of the Cause. One being who had done, and was doing, and would continue to do, everything in his wicked power to crush the Cause, and all who believed in it. One being who they all hated, one being who hated all of them…

And his name was Ganondorf Dragonmire.

Their common enemy.

And as long as he lived, they were united. They shared the bond. They fought for the Cause.

But that was the great irony. The undoing of the Cause's own being.

If they succeeded, they would destroy what united them in their Cause, and would destroy their bond, and in the process, destroy the Cause Itself.

But the Cause was greater than any of them. The Cause would destroy them before It was destroyed…

Six hundred beings marched into the Kokiri Forest.

Link and Ereb were marching near Bruustow, who kept muttering to himself. "These woods… these blasted woods… unnatural… too much green… Black Caves were better…"

Ereb grinned. He had come to almost like the Miniblin General, despite his role in the Graveyard attack.

They carefully wended their way through the forest fringes, making as little noise as possible. If Ganondorf had somehow learned of their approach, he would definitely try and stop them, and they didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves.

But even a slight noise is a trumpet blast to the acute ears of a Korok.

Mido tackled Link out of nowhere, laughing and chattering. Several other Koroks swarmed out of the foliage after him. Big Brother and Bruustow had to shout orders to their troops to keep them from attacking from the shock.

Link, surprised but happy, talked with Mido for a while. Ereb's attention was drawn, though, to another Korok, and he barely heard a word of the exchange.

This Korok was looking at him anxiously, (or so it seemed), and seemed not to want Ereb to notice.

Ereb, confused, said nothing. But his thoughts were jumbled so much afterward that he only dimly noticed the command to follow the Koroks, and by the time he returned to the present, they were already halfway to their destination.

The Koroks ran ahead of the armies, beckoning and laughing, with Link, Ereb, and then the Gorons and Miniblin close behind. The journey through the forest took only an hour.

As they reached their destination, Link was astounded by the sight of the Korok village.

The last time he had visited, the village had been small and well disguised until you were right on top of it. Now, it seemed that all of Hyrule was occupying the area.

Scores of felled trees had been used to build houses and huts of all shapes and sizes. They sprawled all over the area, dotted throughout the cleared sections of forest, though there were far more tents than structiures. Instead of one great campfire, as there had been when Link had been there last, there were now dozens. Hundreds of beings, Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras, thronged throughout the area. He heard Big Brother laugh.

"Hahaha! What do you think of this, General Bruustow? We came to find the Zoras, and arrived to find the world!"

Link privately agreed, and wondered how much had really happened in the nearly nine weeks he'd been away.

The six hundred entered the clearing to much clamor and rejoicing. Goron merchants embraced long lost Brothers. Hylians and Zoras shouted their relief that the Goron army had finally arrived. Link and Ereb were hoisted onto the shoulders of people they had never seen, and were praised and doted on by relieved people.

King Zora lumbered through the crowd to Link's side, laughing that he had something to show the Hero whenever there was a chance.

And then, Link and Ereb saw someone they had never counted on seeing again. They once had. They once had believed that all these people were ones who they would be parted from for only a short while.

They had not fully understood the full severity of their quest; they could not have, unless they had experienced it.

And so it was with much rejoicing that they saw Old Majora again.

The old man laughed along with them, babbling something about talking to them later.

The only ones unwelcome in these moments were the Miniblin, who were at first feared, then recognized as allies, then loathed.

The Hylians had not forgotten the battle of the Graveyards as easily as Ereb. Nor had the Zoras forgotten what other monsters had done to their home.

And so they were outcasts.

Bruustow was the only one of them with an outside companion; he laughed with Big Brother, who now viewed him as a friend.

 _If only it were so._ Bruustow found himself thinking. _If only it were so._

But it could not be so. Maybe for a time, but not forever. Maybe even not all day. It was a passing moment, a fleeting thought.

 _And by this time tomorrow, if no one does anything,_ he mused, _we will have to flee to keep our hides safe._

But there was one person who took no part whatsoever in the proceedings. One person who wanted to, with all their heart, but could not. One person who, even now, could not afford to reveal their face again.

Not yet.


	34. Chapter 33 - Four Meetings

**Chapter 33: Four Meetings**

There were to be four meetings that day. Four councils, four conversations. Four.

The first was between Link and King Zora.

They met, soon after their early greeting, to talk. Link had no idea what to expect. The Zora King's manner was rather grave, and yet he seemed so excited about something that Link could not help but feel it must be good.

King Zora led him into a noisy clearing, where scores of Zoras were at work constructing several large, skeletal structures.

" _This_ is what I wanted to show you." Said King Zora proudly. "We have been building for quite some time now."

Link remained confused. "What are they?"

King Zora laughed, but it was not a happy laugh. "They are siege weapons. Catapults and battering rams."

Link was still confused. "What for?" then another thought struck him. "And why are the Hylians here, in the Kokiri Forest?"

King Zora sighed. "The weapons are to breach Hyrule Castle's walls." He said. "And the Hylians are here because Ganondorf has forced them all out of the Castle Grounds to avoid rebellion."

Link shook his head. It was all too much to absorb. He had known about Ganondorf's talking the throne, but had never suspected the crisis was _this_ bad.

"I think," he said, looking at the soon to be powerful siege weaponry before him, "that Ganondorf will regret his actions…"

The second meeting was between Old Majora, Link, and Ereb. They ate lunch together in a hut built for the old man. It was highly reminiscent of the last time they had eaten together for the same meal like this, so long ago.

"I was responsible, I am afraid," Old Majora was saying between bites of roasted helmaroc, "for the picture of you on the warrant. Ganondorf captured me, and forced me to draw it under threat of Zelda's death."

Link nodded. "It's alright. I understand. How did you escape?"

The old man laughed. "Escape? Bah! I never escaped. I was set free."

"Set free?" Link echoed. This made no sense.

"Yes. Ganondorf may be a liar, traitor, and murderer, but he does, at the very least, keep his word on occasion. I was not enough of a threat to execute; after I finished the picture of you, I was forgotten and released. But not before I was forced to swear loyalty to the new King."

Link shook his head. Even explained, this made little sense.

"You swore loyalty to Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Yes, but the oath is null and void." Old Majora laughed.

"What do you mean?" Ereb asked.

"I mean simply this. An oath to a traitor is an oath to one who broke his own oath. By not going by my forced word, I have brought him full circle. By betraying, he will be betrayed."

" _Will_ be?" said Ereb, "Don't you mean has _been_?"

Old Majora laughed. "No, I was not the traitor I speak of. That traitor is deep in the enemy's own council. That traitor is one I have bribed, and who has accepted. When I was captured, I was caught writing a letter. In reality, that was not the real letter, but a duplicate of one I had already sent."

Link again shook his head. "I'm confused."

Old Majora cackled. "By pretending that I was caught writing treacherous messages, I have made it seem that they stopped me from doing something." He said. "When really, I was only covering for myself. By pretending that it was the first message, I have made Ganondorf assume that I attempted treachery. Not that I had been able to carry it out."

Ereb nodded. This made more sense.

The mask maker looked at Ereb. "And I am sorry for what you suffered." He said.

Ereb nodded again. "It wasn't your fault."

As they walked out the door of the hut, Old Majora murmured, "More than you know. More than you know."

The third meeting was much larger than the preceding two. It was of all the leaders of the Zoras, Gorons, Hylians, and Miniblin. Link and Ereb were also present, along with a throng of others who wanted to be in the know.

A former Captain of Hyrule's army who Link barely recognized strode to the head of the assembly. He leaned over to John, the former Weapons Instructor who Ereb had talked to about the Knighting Ceremonies so long ago.

"Who is that?" he whispered.

John smiled. "He's the closest thing to a Commander we Hylians have left. Ganondorf executed the major heads of the Old Army, and Stagrim there was one of the few overlooked. He is the cornerstone of the rebellion, and, seemingly, answers only to the Cloaked One."

Link frowned. "The Cloaked One?"

John nodded, sitting back up. "Aye. And he's a strange one, at that. His identity s a great secret, and only a group that attended a meeting several days ago know who he is. But they're not going to tell anyone, mark my words. I've tried to find out several times. Hidden authority is dangerous to an open follower."

Link sighed. He _had_ missed a lot.

Captain Stagrim stepped up onto a recently built podium. He leaned against it like a preacher in mid sermon, and said nothing for quite some time.

Then, finally, he opened his mouth. "I welcome you, all of you, to our temporary home." He began. The crowd cheered.

He smiled grimly, and bowed to Big Brother, King Zora, Mido, and Bruustow. "I welcome you great leaders of your own peoples, who come to aid us in our time of need."

The four bowed back, Bruustow more stiffly than the others.

"I would like to address each of you." continued Stagrim. "Mido, Eldest of the Koroks, you have sheltered us and fed us. You have supported our efforts with your people's powers of espionage, and for that, we all thank you."

The crowd cheered again, with the shrill voices of Koroks sounding slightly louder than usual.

"King Zora. King and ruler of your people." Stagrim said. "You have gathered the great nation of your Water Dwelling people into a vast army, and led them to a forest that, while beautiful, must without a doubt be a difficult home for them. Yet you have sworn to defend us, and strike down Ganondorf's armies with your blood. For that, we all thank you."

The crowd's jubilance was more grim this time, but it was none the less grateful.

"Big Brother. Great Chieftain of the Goron Tribes. You have also gathered your people and brought them to this haven. You have also brought to us the Hero, the hope of our cause! For that, we all thank you."

The Hylians were loudest in the applause that followed. Their prayers and dreams were upon the boy, upon the Hero.

"And finally, Bruustow, General of the Miniblin of the Black Caves. You have joined us against Ganondorf, against the force of Evil we all hate. For that, we all thank you."

The applause was scattered. The Miniblin roared their approval, but even the great clamor they caused could not break the stillness. A very few Gorons, who had made friends with the Miniblin, yelled and clapped, but were quickly silenced by icy glares.

Ereb, the only other person who had cheered, sighed. If only things had turned out differently.

Bruustow nodded, his red eyes gleaming. He, too, sighed, but no one saw it. He did not let them.

Stagrim continued, breaking the awkward silence.

"We have all gathered here to prepare for war." He said. At the moment he said the word _war_ , everyone seemed to forget the Miniblin. Their eyes were all on Stagrim once again.

He gulped, and continued. "We have all come from different places and lives. But all of us have been affected, in some way, by Ganondorf's evil. All of us, in some way, have felt the darkness closing in more and more with each passing day." He looked at Bruustow. " _All_ of us." he said.

Bruustow nodded once. He was not happy, but he was, at least, reassured of the Captain's standing.

The Captain plodded on. "We will fight the traitor. We will defeat him. Hyrule will be safe, and peace will reign once more!"

The crowd went wild. No one noticed a cloaked figure approach and dismiss Stagrim. Not until the Cloaked One was standing on the podium was anyone aware that the speaker had changed.

A strange voice filtered out through the shroud.

"The Zoras have initiated construction of siege weapons. Big Brother has told me that his people, masters of the forge, will work to arm us. The Koroks will continue to be our spies. And the Miniblin…" the Cloaked One paused. "…The Miniblin are to be treated as friends. That is what they have become, and is now what they are."

The Miniblin, heartened, looked up at the speaker hopefully.

"But as great as our allies works are, they are not enough." Ignoring the shock that passed over each face in the crown, the Cloaked One proceeded. "We have only one hope. One person will break Ganondorf's power. One, and only one. Our duty is to help him accomplish that, for alone, we cannot."

Though he could not see the face of the mysterious leader, Link had an uneasy feeling that the leader's eyes were fixed on him. He shuffled a bit in his seat.

"Only the Hero can." The strange voice was quieter now. It was barely audible. "Only Link can."

There was a long silence. The leader pulled back the hood.

Revealed was a head wrapped in a muffling shroud. Shining blue eyes and a delicate mouth were all that remained uncovered.

Link felt, mixed with the unease, a strange foreboding. The eyes _were_ fixed on him. But they were strange eyes, _familiar_ eyes…

The Cloaked one reached up, and unraveled the shroud. A mane of golden hair fell from the wraps. A face, a full face, pale but proud, was revealed.

And Link and Ereb found themselves leaping to their feet, running, laughing, without quite realizing why.

And then they, too, were on the podium, all three of them locked in a great bear hug, and they were weeping, and smiling until it hurt, and babbling about how it had been so long, _so long…_

And when the three of them parted, Hero, Helper, and Leader of the Rebellion…

…It was Zelda who was the first to speak.

"Welcome home, Link and Ereb!" She cried.


	35. Chapter 34 - The Second Trial

**Chapter 34: The Second Trial**

The three of them, later that evening, were talking.

"I don't know how I escaped." Zelda began. "I fell asleep in the dungeon. I had a dream…"

Ereb gave her a quick look. "A dream?"

She nodded, and looked a bit self conscious. "Yes, Ereb. A dream. A dream about you, actually."

Link noticed her blush a bit, embarrassed, but Ereb seemed to be lost in another place. He suddenly shook his head, as if snatched back into reality. His stare was intense as he looked again at Zelda. "What happened in the dream?" he asked urgently.

She blushed more profusely, now thoroughly embarrassed. "You were…" she paused a few moments. "…you were in a black place. There was a beam of light, and a sword at its center. You picked it up. Something appeared behind you, and it spoke to you…"

Ereb shook his head. "A mask." He said.

Zelda now looked a bit alarmed. Her blush faded to an ashen white. "..Yes." she whispered.

Ereb closed his eyes. Link felt like someone watching through a window.

After a time, Ereb reached into his pouch and pulled something out. Link gasped. Zelda's face grew even more pale.

It was half of a mask. A mask they all knew very well. A mask that had haunted all their dreams. A mask that was fragmented and broken.

Ereb held it out to Zelda. " _This_ mask." It was not a question. It was not even questioning. It was a fact.

She again nodded.

"And what did it say?"

She spoke as if from a long distance. "it said words I could not understand. You spoke back. And then there was another voice. Loud. Evil."

At that moment, Link heard a voice himself. It was quiet and sinister, dark and fell. Like the whisper of a hissing breeze. A breeze unfathomably cold.

 _"ASHI coMblante…"_

He shivered. The other two had not heard it.

And then they both looked at him. Their faces were hard. Their eyes were cold. The broken mask glowed…

He blinked. They were back to normal. The mask glowed no more. He felt a chill crawling down his spine. He shivered.

And a light erupted in their midst.

Ganondorf was on the throne again. He was not happy. Not at all.

He had just personally executed each and every one of those who had fled the Kokiri Forest. They had come back expecting mercy. Expecting understanding.

And he had shown them mercy. He had understood.

He had understood that they were cowards who could not chase down two hundred weak villagers. He had shown them the mercy of leaving them alive until they had finished telling the story.

And then his mercy had dried up in the sudden flames of his wrath.

The floor was stained with their blood. He observed the dark blots with little interest. They were marks of failure, but not of his own failure. They were marks of the failure of his servants. Marks of misplaced faith.

The faith that erecting an outside barracks to house a portion of his army had been a good idea. In the days after the forced exodus, the townspeople had hastily constructed multiple structures for shelter, that within another few days had become a small village. Its buildings had not been large or completely dry, but they had been better to the townspeople than sleeping under the stars.

And then Ganondorf had worried a bit. With the townspeople altogether as they were, it was likely they would start planning their rebellion sooner. And he had called Stalg. He had told him to house a few hundred troops within the village, posting sentries in multiple areas.

And the plan had worked for two days.

But the actions of the villagers had been so swift and unexpected that Ganondorf himself had not learned about them until it was far too late. He had not heard the warning bell.

But there were advantages to this situation. It was hard to see at first, but they were there.

Firstly, the beasts who escaped the slaughter in the forest fringes had given him the important information of Where. The rebels had fled into the Kokiri Forest.

Secondly, this change in events gave him time to prepare for what was undoubtedly being planned in the rebel camps. The coming storm would be weathered if he had a chance to strengthen his defenses before it broke.

And thirdly, this gave his spy extra time to report back. The spy was well planted, he knew. Very well planted. The spy would bring back all the information he needed.

He laughed. His mood was changing as he thought of the surprise the rebels would get as they left their forest refuge…

The light aroused different feelings in all of them, because they knew what it was.

In Zelda, there was a solemnity and sadness that took hold of her. She was happy to see her father, but it was not the same as it had been. This was her father's ghost. This was a being of great power, of great wisdom, given form but not substance. This was her father as seen through a window in a soundproof room. They could read each other's lips, but would never speak in the way they once had.

In Ereb, there arose a great confusion and wonder. The last time he had seen the ghost had been for a brief instant on Hyrule Fields after his return, and that had been a strange meeting. He had not even gotten a word out when the ghost had transported him to a miserable mountaintop. He had wandered for days down its slope and up the next, always keeping Death Mountain in his sights.

And yet his transportation had reunited him with Link. He smiled at his friend, but his smile suddenly vanished as his eyes took in what he was seeing.

Link was not himself.

The person that had taken his place looked like Link, but couldn't be.

His eyes were blazing with a ferocious power Ereb had never seen before. His features, cast into shadow by the light of the Ghost King, contorted his appearance into something dark. His fist was clenched. The other was on the hilt of his sword.

The Ghost King said nothing. He snapped his fingers, and they both, Link, and the ghost, disappeared.

They reappeared by a still pool. Flowers of a dozen varieties grew by the pool, indifferent to those passing them. Birds twittered quietly in the branches of a lone tree, whose roots grew half in the water and half in the earth.

Clouds shielded the pool from the sun. The sky beyond them was an ominous grey.

And the Ghost King sighed.

"I have brought you here for an important purpose, Link." He said expressionlessly.

Link ignored him. He didn't care that he was now reunited with Ereb. The present state of things did not justify the Ghost's actions in his eyes. But he knew after a few moments that silence would not end the inevitable conversation any quicker. He finally turned to the Ghost.

"And what is that purpose?" he asked, his face a mask for the turmoil brooding within.

The Ghost King was silent for a long moment. "Actually, for two purposes." He amended. "The first is to talk with you. I know you hate me. You think I betrayed you, that my actions led to Ereb's tragic disappearance, and his near death."

Link nodded. He had control of his anger for the moment. He would at least hear the beast, he reasoned, before he crushed him.

"And more than that." He said, voice low. "You lied to me. You made me think the mask was safe, that it would not hurt us."

"Did I?" the Ghost broke in. "I said nothing to you. I instructed Old Majora, not you."

"And through Old Majora, me and Ereb!" Link's voice was rising. "How dare you act as though you didn't know what you were doing! You knew all along that if I knew you wanted me to take the mask, I would. I should have listened to Ereb. I _should_ have, but didn't! I reassured him! Because of you!"

There was a long pause. The birds had stopped twittering. It was as though nature itself was awaiting the Ghost King's reply.

But when it came, it was so quiet that Link could barely hear it. "But I was not the one who cursed it."

Link shook his head. "But you _knew_ it was cursed. You told me so yourself, in the Kokiri Forest the day after he disappeared! And you also told me that you had known of the Oracle of Doom." He was pale with suppressed anger.

"And then, I came across _Jade_ , the other beast who doesn't answer anything directly. And then _he_ stuffs the same garbage down my throat! I'm _sick_ of it all! SICK!"

He stepped back, eyes blazing. He shook his head. "And then you appear. And you look at me without emotion, without sorrow." As he glared at the Ghost King, his anger fired into rage. The Ghost's face showed no more emotion than it had on the night Link had broken his leg.

"Without even _caring._ " He growled. "All you care about is your blasted self righteous talk of _paths_ and _fate!"_

The Ghost King still remained silent. Link turned away and dropped to the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Do you even know how much I suffered? What Ereb went through? What happened to Sir Marcus?"

He heard no reply, so he continued. "Sir Marcus was murdered by Ganondorf. I was alone for _days_. And even before that, we were without Ereb. And Ereb went from nightmare to nightmare, and almost died."

He found his tears running down his face. He didn't care.

"That sword." The Ghost King said. "Where did you find it?"

Link found himself wishing he could find it protruding from the Ghost's chest. "In Death Mountain." He muttered. "Right before I was ambushed by the Shadow you told me about."

He looked over his shoulder, and was enraged to find the Ghost _smiling_. He was on his feet with sword in hand before he even realized it. And the next moment, he was slashing the nothingness that was the Ghost's body.

And the Ghost still smiled. He waited a while, and then snapped his fingers. Link found himself blasted ten feet backwards. He slammed heavily into the tree, and fell into the water.

"I told you to take the sword." Said the Ghost, smile now gone. "I made sure you did so, before the Shadow _I warned you about_ was able to strike. And I protected you from being attacked any sooner by the Shadow. The night I appeared in Jade's hut, the Shadow was blinded. It had been listening at the window. It fled before it found out too much, because of _me_."

Link clambered out of the pool, sopping wet and furious. "I handled him fine in the mountain. I even had strength to go up and down it later, and to run farther than I ever had before when I saw Ereb."

"That was not your strength." Said the Ghost. "It was the power of that sword. The blade gives power beyond the wielder's own abilities. Without it, and without my interference to make sure you got it, you would have been overcome by the Shadow."

Link couldn't believe his ears. His anger and hatred had brooded from his sadness and misery for so long, that he had never even connected these occurrences with the Ghost.

"I freed Zelda. I have not betrayed you. I did not tell you everything, because there were things you needed to learn yourself."

Link shook his head. "I…I…"

The Ghost smiled.

Link felt all his emotions mixing into a great formless mass until his mind was blank. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do anymore.

And the Ghost placed his hand over Link's shoulder. "You have suffered more than any other. And yet you have accomplished things no mere boy could. You are more than a mere boy. Much more."

Link was still lost in the emptiness of his feelings. He heard the words, but could not even form an answer to them.

"You have passed a trial, destroying a fire worm. You have faced the horrors of the massacre of the Sacred Chamber, and have crossed blades with foul beasts. You have witnessed a great friend's death at the hands of your enemy. You have been betrayed. You lost a friend for what seemed an eternity when the mask whisked Ereb to the other dimension. You fell and broke a leg."

Hearing this account of his quest was different than it had been to actually live through it. The deeds sounded noble and heroic. The losses seemed even more tragic. The remembered pains were more acute.

He looked up at the King. The Ghost's face was hard. The smile had faded again. The silence of the pool was absolute.

"And you lived. You continued. You persevered. And all the while, you believed me to have betrayed you. Your belief was unfounded, but well rooted. And I am afraid I did nothing but fertilize the soil of your doubt."

Link nodded. His feeling had returned. He felt better than he had in weeks.

In nearly two months.

And he was able to smile now. His eyes no longer blazed with a flame of hatred. He observed, or so it seemed to him, that he was standing on a tall tower, looking out a window down at all the events leading up to this moment. His fuel, his drive, his strength, had been anger.

Anger at the Ghost King. Anger at Ganondorf. Anger at the world.

But he saw, in this high place, that he no longer needed it.

Talking to the Ghost had somehow changed him.

He was roused from his thoughts by the voice of the Ghost.

"You have passed the second trial." He said.

Link turned to him, confused.

"The first trial was one of bravery. You showed it when you alone ventured into the tunnel and fought the fire worm. You succeeded in that trial. And now you have, after so long, passed the second. A trial of wisdom. I can see, in your eyes, that you have learned much in this time."

Link nodded. The statement seemed too solemn for mere words.

"And now, I send you to complete the third and final trial of the Hero."

Link frowned. "Trial of the Hero? I thought the trials were for my Knighthood."

The Ghost smiled. "They were, Link. But they are more than tests of your abilities. They are also lessons you learn. Wisdom you gain."

Link nodded. "I am ready, I think."

The Ghost King's eyes bored into him. "Are you sure? The final trial is one that will be far more difficult than the first trials. It tests your heart. Your choices will be the key to the lock."

Link, though puzzled by the King's words, felt sure. He was ready. He must pass the final trial.

"Yes." he said. One word, but it spoke of much more than assent to a question.

The Ghost King nodded, and snapped his fingers. Link felt himself being whisked away on a cloud of light.


	36. Chapter 35 - The Final Trial

**Chapter 35: The Final Trial**

He saw a door. It was large and lavishly decorated with precious stones and gleaming metals. He took in his surroundings.

He stood in a narrow walkway. He was walled in on all sides, with the door being his only way out. He took a deep, steadying breath, and entered.

Link stepped into a split passage way. The door slammed shut ominously behind him. As he looked back over his shoulder, he saw the door fading into the wall. Suddenly, there was no door. Only the wall behind him.

And three choices.

He remembered the King's words. _It tests your heart. Your choices will be the key to the lock._

He stood absolutely still, and gazed into the first passage, to his left. At first he saw nothing. The passage was in complete darkness. But after several long moments, he thought he saw something move in the darkness, and as if something had moved out of the way, he saw a distant speck of yellow light.

Pondering this, he turned to the second passage, before him. This passage was well lit, but it soon turned a corner. _It could be a trap._ He thought. _Or maybe it's a leap of faith. Maybe I'm supposed to turn the corner believing that it's the right path._

He finally looked into the third passage to his right. It was a mixture of the darkness of the left passage and the light of the center passage. The floor rose slowly the farther from the entrance it got, and in the end there was only a narrow gap between the floor and ceiling. He was not sure, but he thought he could see daylight through the gap.

After studying each passage carefully, he sat down. Not for any need to rest, but the idea came to him. Sitting, he would gain a different perspective of the passages. Lower down he might see more.

He gasped. It had been a good idea.

From his new perspective, he could also see the ceilings of the passages just after their entrances.

The left passage's ceiling was a mirror. In it he could see reflected, somewhere far below, another dim light, along with the dark image of a sudden drop. The floor gave way after a few steps. You could only see so, however, in the mirror.

He smiled. Whatever had inspired him to sit had been a smart corner of his mind.

He next looked again into the center passage. He again gasped.

It, too, was a mirror, but set at more of an angle. It caught the reflection of several other mirrors, that allowed him to see a reflection of what lay around the corner.

There was a large beast standing there, gripping a heavy looking axe.

He sighed. The right passage next.

He looked at the ceiling of the right passage. He saw nothing. It was just a ceiling. There was nothing to guide him.

So, contrary of what he had originally thought, the center passage was not the "leap of faith". The passage to the right was.

After several minutes pondering, he stood, and entered the passage to his right.

Ganondorf stood at the brink of a great chasm.

He had, at long last, found what he had been searching for.

He laughed.

The traitor turned to three Bokoblins standing behind him. "Give me the rope. I alone will proceed. Wait here."

The command was obeyed, and one of the beasts removed a long rope from his pouch. He handed it to Ganondorf, who swiftly bound it securely around a nearby tree. He tugged on the rope violently. The tree swayed a bit, but held. He nodded.

He tied the rope around his waist, and drew one of his newly forged swords. Jamming it into his belt securely, he turned again toward the edge.

With inhuman speed and agility, the traitor sped to the edge, and began to lower himself down the slope.

It would have taken a skilled climber at least two hours to lower themselves down the steep, craggy slope.

It took the Gueredo King two minutes.

Upon reaching the floor of the chasm, he untied himself from the rope, and pulled his sword again. Glancing around warily, he tensed up, prepared to deliver any attacker a lightning stroke with the blade.

But he was happily surprised. No one attacked. There was, for some reason, no ambush or trap laid for trespassers on this Evil Ground.

He smiled. "You may have had great powers," he said under his breath, "but in hiding them you were less than great, Father."

Link found himself blinking in bright sunlight.

He looked back at the hole in the ground just behind him. It had been a very tight squeeze, but he had barely managed it. He smiled. This trial was easier than he had expected.

He drew his sword as a precaution, and studied his surroundings.

He had, apparently, climbed into the bottom a gaping crater in the ground. He turned around a few times, blown away by the size of the crater. It was as deep as Hyrule Castle was tall, and even looked a bit deeper than that. The sky above was unnaturally blue and cloudless. A piercingly bright and hot sun beamed down upon him.

The floor of the crater was mostly bare; dirt and rocks were its main features. There were, now and then, large boulders that jutted from the ground like pointing fingers.

He could see no way out of the crater. As far as the eye could see, it was nothing but a vast hole in the earth, with the only exit being the hole he had just crawled out of.

 _As far as the eye can see…_ he thought. And he set off at a jog toward one of the boulders.

Ganondorf strode slowly into a dark cave, connected to the floor of the chasm. He was a Gueredo, and his eyes could see well in the dark, but he lit a torch from his pouch anyway.

It was a huge cave, with a high ceiling and a vast diameter. There was almost nothing within, save for a few bats that clung to the ceiling. They were disturbed by the sudden flare of light, and attacked the source.

Ganondorf dropped to the ground. The bats could be a distraction for some other airborne trap. He lay with his head up, looking forward.

He again smiled.

 _How appropriate,_ he thought, remembering his beginnings as a Language Instructor, _that you must get low to gain high power._

There was a small tunnel leading to another place in the wall just before him…

Link saw, from this great height, a well concealed ledge that he had not seen from the ground. He grinned to see that he would be able to jump for it.

He steadied himself on the boulder, and then took a swift, powerful step, with which he hurled himself into the air. His arms shot out, and he felt his fingers grip the rock. He pulled himself up, and lay there awhile, panting for breath.

After recovering, he stood, wincing as he unclenched his aching fingers. He looked about him again, and saw that the ledge jutted out of the stone just at the entrance of a cave.

He entered, and gasped.

Ganondorf had to stoop to enter the tunnel. It hurt his back, but he managed. He eventually felt the rocky ceiling rise, and the tunnel widen. He quickened his pace.

He was soon able to stand full height. He again lit the torch, which he had earlier extinguished.

He smiled.

Link and Ganondorf.

The Hero of the greatest legends. The prophesied savior of Hyrule.

The King of a powerful desert tribe. The prophesied ruler of all Hyrule.

One's prophecy comes from the most ancient tales and myths. The other's comes from the mouth of a dark being.

Both stare in awe, in the same moment, in similar settings, at what their quests have brought them to.

The culmination of both their efforts is made physical in their eyes.

The two caves are different, and yet the same.

One is a place of darkness, a forgotten temple of evil, a tomb of the blackest powers.

The other is place of solitude, in a forgotten crater, a hidden tomb of the greatest knowledge.

Both will give the seeker what they are looking for…

But at terrible cost.

The stage is set. The curtain rises for the final act.

The world is waiting…


	37. Chapter 36 - Powers and Prophecies

p class="p1"span class="s1"strongPart 6: Ultimatum /strong/span/p  
p class="p2"strongChapter 36: Powers and Prophesies /strong/p  
p class="p3"By the light of the torch, Ganondorf could see his new surroundings clearly. This chamber was elaborately designed. /p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"It had been carved out of the rock of the cave into a nine sided shape. The entrance was set into one of the walls at the exact center. The other walls were covered in a dark script. Not even Ganondorf could tell what it said. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The entirety of the ceiling was covered with a mural. A strange script ran around its borders. This mural was not brightly colored, nor beautiful, as were the murals in the Sacred Chamber. This mural was covered in images of evil events, all leading into each other. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2" There was a dragon devouring a child, who was running to a sword, which was in the hands of a warrior, who was fighting a beast. The beast's shield was also the eye of a terrifying face that took up the background. The beast's back foot was on the edge of a canyon, from which was issuing flying bats. The bats then turned to the right and gathered, making up the flowing hair of a maiden who was stabbing the dragon's tail. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"But the face in the background did not look painted, as the rest did. It looked more like a mirror image of something staring up from the floor. Ganondorf shook off the idea, and looked at the rest of the chamber. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"There were several poles with lanterns attached standing throughout the room. They were set in a strange pattern, each lined up with a painted skull on the floor. The rest of the room was empty, save for a square stone slab in the center. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Ganondorf frowned, and first studied the lantern poles. There were eighteen. He kept a mental note of the number. emNine walls, eighteen lantern poles. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He then stared down at the floor. There was no design painted on it, save for the skulls on which the poles stood, and carved lines that ran from each skull, to meet in the center of the room. The skulls were chillingly realistic. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He pondered it for a long time. Then he saw that the skulls were set into a specific order. There were two near each wall, at each corner of the wall. Each corner had a carved line that ran up it, which curved and became the script. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He sighed. Everything in here was interconnected somehow. He knew it must be. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He again stared at the ceiling. The events of the mural were all intertwined into a circle of motion. The evil face was the backdrop. It must somehow be important. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He studied the mural again, and soon found that there was more to it than he had first seen. He held up his torch to see better. br / br / There. He could see markings, tiny markings, on each item of the mural save the face. The warrior's sword had the same script from the walls engraved on the blood channel. The maiden's hair of bats was broken in several places by the shapes of a different writing. And the child, running to the sword and being devoured by the dragon, was holding a doll. The doll's eyes were miniscule lines of yet another language, spiraling so tightly that they looked like black dots. /span/p  
p class="p7"He again sighed. The circular motion of it was the key. One language must lead to another, and finally to the script from the walls… But which came first? Which direction did the mural really go?/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He grabbed the stone slab and stood on it. He could see the writings more clearly now. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He first tried the writing in the maiden's hair. He recognized it soon enough as the written language Harkiu. This was a commonly spoken tongue in the lands beyond the Gueredo Desert. He recognized it from his childhood. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"It read: emThe key to the eyes lies in the size./em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The eyes… which eyes? The eyes of the face? The doll's eyes of writing? /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He next tried the writing that ran around the mural. It was, also, in a desert tongue, named Chivad. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"It read: emThe key to the size lies in the eyes. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He muttered under his breath. So this was the answer. Both writings lead to the eyes of the doll. He tried to read it. It was difficult, but he could roughly gather its meaning. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"It read, more or less: emDragon attacked, child fled, warrior killed, beast bled, creatures gathered, maiden wept, dragon died, dark one slept. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He smiled. He now had the order. The dragon came first. It was painted near a wall to his left. He again tried to read the script. He could not. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He went back to the mural, and now studied the warrior's sword. The writing was the same. How could he read it? He shouted in frustration. His voice echoed around the chamber. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The shield, the eye of the face, blinked. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He shook his head. He stared at the shield intently. It was only a painting. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Ganondorf smiled, feeling almost relieved. And then he saw the answer. br / br / The eye. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The eye was also a spiraling line of miniscule script, but written so closely that he could barely make it out. His eyes were aching from strain in the end, but eventually he made it out:/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"It was an alphabet, Hylian and the script. It was the key. He remembered the lines. emThe key to the eyes lies in the size. The key to the size lies in the eyes. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He chuckled. The echo sounded again, but nothing happened. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He studied the alphabet for a long while with the disciplined patience of a language master. /span/p  
p class="p7"Which he was. /p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He then walked to the wall nearest the dragon. He could now translate its meaning./span/p  
p class="p7"emLeft then right, skulls in the night. /em/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He smiled, and lit the lantern to his left. It flared to life with a puff of acrid smoke. /span/p  
p class="p7"He gasped./p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The carved line leading from the skull to the center of the room suddenly shone. Shaken, he lit the other lantern. The same happened. br / br / He proceeded through the room, translating the words on the walls, moving from lantern to lantern. At the eighteenth lantern, he paused. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"A wonderful sensation chilled him. It was a sensation that shot from his toes to his head and back down again. It was a tingling, a warmth, a power. Anticipation. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He lit the final lantern. The final carved line shone. br / br / The floor suddenly shook. Ganondorf was knocked to his feet. He found that he could not open his mouth. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"A beam of light shot up from the center of the floor, where all the lines joined. The skulls glowed with an eerie green light. A voice pierced his mind. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emASHI coMblante…/em/span/p  
p class="p7" /p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"***/span/p  
p class="p7" /p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link saw an old man, wrapped in dirty robes. He held a staff in one hand and a goblet in the other. His eyes were as dark as midnight. /span/p  
p class="p7"Link shuddered. He approached the man. /p  
p class="p6"span class="s2""Who are you?" he asked tentatively. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The voice that answered was as powerful as the mountains, and yet as frail as a twig. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2""I am the Oracle." Said the man. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link, shocked, pulled his blade. The Oracle laughed. "No, no, Hero. I am not an enemy. The Oracle of Doom is not here. I am, really, not an Oracle. I do not see what lies ahead."/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He seemed to think for a long moment. "But then, neither does the Oracle of Doom." /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He smiled at Link. "Then who are you?" Link asked. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2""I am a wanderer. A traveler. A man. A friend. A warrior. A king. A peasant. I have been many things in my life, and they all make up the answer to your question. emWho. /emBut I have been called an Oracle for many years. Whether this is truth or not, it is my current identity."/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link, totally confused, could only answer with a blank stare. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The man laughed. "You do not understand." He said. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link shook his head. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The man sighed. "Yes. But that is not the matter at hand. You have come to me. You are in a trial, are you not? A trial to test your heart." /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link nodded. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2""Well then." Said the man. "We shall not waste any time. Sit." /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link obeyed. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The man closed his eyes. "I want you to take as long as you need, for the answer to this question will affect more than the outcome of a mere trial. It will affect your very future."/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link nodded again, though slower. He was reeling. What would happen if he answered wrongly? And what was the question?/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"The man sighed. His eyes opened. They bored into Link's. And when he spoke, his voice was harder. More powerful. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2""Understand, Link, that this decision will not be to blame for any misfortune, any more than a chosen path is to blame for losing yourself. You, here and now, will be to blame for your decision. This is a trial, yes, but not emthe/em trial. The real trial comes when you face your ultimate enemy. When you confront the Traitor." /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"Link was jolted back to the present. He was still confused, but felt ready. "Alright." He said finally, closing his eyes in concentration. "What is the question?"/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"He heard a voice answer him. /span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emYou have faced the world and have regretted many decisions. You have faced Good and have found yourself lacking. You have faced Evil and found yourself consumed by hatred of it. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emYou have lost much. Your father you lost to Moblins. Your mentor to the Traitor. Your best friend to a cursed mask, and to the silence of a King. Your other best friend to the Traitor, and to the doom of her importance./em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emYou have also gained much. You found Jade when you needed shelter. You found Elnor, who befriended you. You were reunited with both Ereb and Zelda. You obtained a sacred blade. The friendship of Gorons and Zoras. Of Kings. Of a Mask maker. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emAnd you have fought. Fought for many things and against many things. For your life, for your friends, for your kingdom, for a cause greater than yourself. And against all manner of beasts and creatures. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emYou have seen death. You have seen life. You have seen hatred and betrayal and sadness and misery and suffering and pain. You have seen happiness and peace and friendship and loyalty and love. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emYou are the Hero. You have been chosen. You, of all people, of all peoples, of all races, in all kingdoms, in all lands in the world. You. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emAnd so comes your choice. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emDoom lies in wait for you no matter where you go. The Traitor will hunt you down and kill you if he can. Allies will betray you. Friends will fall. And you will lose everything you ever had in one moment. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emBut there is hope. Always there is hope. /em/span/p  
p class="p7"emYou must defeat Ganondorf. You must stop his designs. You must try. /em/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"em And that is why there is hope. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emBecause you can do more than anyone else can. Because you, alone, are the one who /emcanem stop the Traitor. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emBecause the world needs you. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emWill you rise to the call? Or will you wallow in fear? When you lose everything, will you focus on the enemy, or on yourself? br / br / Because, in the end, the answer to this question is neither and yet both of these. /em/span/p  
p class="p6"span class="s2"emBut what will you answer? /em/span/p  
p class="p7"emWill you be the Hero? /em/p 


	38. Chapter 37 - Reckoning and Return

**Chapter 37: Reckoning and Return**

Link opened his eyes. The old man had disappeared.

He was interested to find that he was not surprised.

He stood, and left the cave, walking out onto the ledge.

His mind was clear. His emotions were placid. His thoughts were of trivialities. The blue of the sky, the heat of the sun.

But his heart was in turmoil.

He saw his future as the shore of a sea. There were two boulders in the ground. He stood on the shore at high tide.

There were many waves coming at him. Many storms brewing. Many troubles beginning.

And he saw that both boulders were named. One was named _fear_ , and the other _despair._

And he must choose one. He must decide which would shelter him the most from the coming waves.

But then he saw a still pool. A familiar face through glass. A mentor, a man who had been almost a father. A man whose eyes still shone from the grave with a fire of power and determination and will and strength.

And he saw two best friends. One held captive in a dungeon. One held captive by an evil curse. Both trying to escape and failing. Both needing him.

And he saw an old man, captured by wicked creatures, led up a long stair, forced to betray a friend with a picture.

And he saw the mourning Zoras, their wailing laments bringing an ache to his heart.

And he saw the suffering Hylians, driven from their homes and businesses, forced from their lives.

And he saw mourners in a graveyard of kings, civilians who were killed by the Miniblins.

And he saw still dark forms in a silent chamber, the dead bodies of young Knights and their King.

And he saw a man stabbing his mentor. He saw a man kidnapping his friend. He saw a man forcing his friend to betray him. He saw a man who had led the attack, who made the Zoras mourn. He saw a man who had driven the Hylians away. A man who had ordered the ambush in the graveyards. Who had had the young Knights and their King murdered.

He saw a man he had once thought of as almost a friend. A man who had consoled him, had listened to him, had betrayed him. He saw a man who was a murderer, a kidnapper, an usurper, a plotter, a traitor.

A man with orange hair, red eyes, and a prominent nose.

A man who was his true enemy. Who was the true enemy of everyone in Hyrule.

A man named Ganondorf Dragonmire.

And he knew, in that moment, in his heart of hearts, that he could not hide behind _fear_ or _despair._

He could not hide at all.

He would not.

And he stood, sword drawn, jaw set, eyes blazing, stance firm.

And the waves rushed at him. They mocked him, taunted him, tried to terrify him.

But he would not flee. Not this time. He would not fear. Not this time. He would not despair. Not this time.

Not this time.

And he spoke to the waves. He did not know if he spoke in the silence of his heart, or aloud.

But he spoke.

And he said

"Come at me! Come at me, Ganondorf! Come at me, Oracle! Come at me, death! I am ready!"

"I AM READY!"

And with that, he was whisked away again. He blinked, and found himself, once again, in the tent. He saw that Ereb was talking to Zelda.

" _This_ mask." He was saying. It was not a question. It was not even questioning. It was a fact.

She nodded.

"And what did it say?"

She spoke as if from a long distance. "It said words I could not understand. You spoke back. And then there was another voice. Loud. Evil."

At that moment, Link heard a voice himself. It was quiet and sinister, dark and fell. Like the whisper of a hissing breeze. A breeze unfathomably cold.

 _"ASHI coMblante…"_

And he realized that he had heard all of this before. Somehow, no time had passed. He had gone _back_ in time. He was finished with the trial.

"I know what it said." Ereb answered. "But it must be evil. I won't say it, especially here. What else did you see?"

"I saw you break the mask with the sword. And then the world broke in half. And then you were on a hill, unconscious. I woke up, and was… somehow…"

Link found that he knew what she wanted to say. He just did. "Somewhere else." He finished for her.

She nodded. She looked afraid. "Anyway, I was in a small house. There was nothing there but a bed and a cloak." She paused, and shook her head. "And a note."

"What did the note say?" asked Ereb.

"It said that I should never go anywhere without the cloak on. It said that I must always be disguised. That I should seek out Stagrim, the former Captain in the army. So I did."

They jumped with surprise as a different voice spoke. "And you found me."

They turned and saw Stagrim, smiling at them from the tent entrance.

Zelda, frightened for a moment, found herself angry now. "And why didn't you knock, or…" she struggled to find a word. "…something?"

Stagrim chuckled. "Well, Princess, I am sorry." He bowed. "But we have found something. And it is bad for us, but…" he was laughing now. "…but amusing."

Link, Zelda and Ereb, confused and grinning a bit, followed him out into the forest.


	39. Chapter 38 - Espionage

**Chapter 38: Espionage**

They followed Stagrim through the camp and into a clearing. There they saw a man who was gripped by the arms by two large Gorons. The man was struggling, but had no chance against the titanic strength of the Gorons. His face and chest were covered in a foul smelling substance.

Stagrim wrinkled his nose against the odor, but the smile only widened. He gestured to the ground nearby.

Ereb laughed.

There was a large pile of horse dung on the ground, imprinted in which was the figure of the man's chest and face. There were several papers scattered around the ground, all of which were covered in a spidery writing.

Zelda picked one of them up, and began reading. Her expression hardened to a look of hateful anger that sent a chill down Link's back.

Motioning subtly to Ereb, he stepped back. Ereb followed his lead. If Zelda was this angry, it was probably best to stay clear. Link could see the tension rising in her as her jaw tightened and her eyes burst into angry flames.

When she finally whirled around and faced the captive, Ereb thought he saw the forest darken.

"You! You are a spy!" she shouted. Even the Gorons flinched. "These are secrets of the councils!" she screamed, brandishing the paper at him. "These are the information Ganondorf needs!"

The spy, who before had been struggling against the Gorons, now looked thankful for their shelter. Zelda raged on.

"The penalty for this must be death! Do you even know what Ganondorf might plan to do with this information? _Do you_?!"

The man remained silent, and glanced at Link. Link felt a sudden shock of recognition.

"Sir John?" he said.

It was true. The weapons master was the spy. No one would ever have suspected it. He had always appeared to be loyal to the King.

Zelda was clearly finished. She turned away, but then suddenly whipped around and punched the spy in the face. He groaned.

She walked briskly past Link and Ereb, muttering irately about John under her breath. Out loud she said, "The execution will take place immediately, Stagrim. Burn these papers. No! Wait! Don't, actually. Give them to me. I want to see what Ganondorf already might know."

Stagrim handed her the papers, and within a few moments the only people in the clearing were Link and Ereb.

Ereb sighed. "Ironic, isn't it?" he said.

"What?"

"The person I wanted you to believe all that time ago was the same person who must have had something to do with the Sacred Chamber."

Link started. "What?" he said again.

Ereb's look was hard. "Think about it, Link. He knew something about it. Remember? He told me about the challenges. You didn't believe me until we got there."

Link nodded slowly. It was beginning to make sense. If John was in Ganondorf's circle, he might have played an influential role in the killings.

Then Link smiled.

"What?" asked Ereb. "What are you happy about?"

Link shook his head, and started jogging after Stagrim. Ereb followed, confused.

Stalg was very busy. There was an ambush to prepare for.

He bellowed at several Bokoblins to hurry their movements. They jumped to obey.

He looked around.

Ganondorf's plan was going well. The army was organizing in the areas between the Kokiri Forest and Hyrule Castle. Every possible exit was being watched. Four wooden lookout towers had been hastily erected. A palisade had been built.

And now it was time to prepare the troops.

This force was only a fraction of the whole army, but it was still enormous. Four hundred strong, it would surely be enough to repel any early attacks.

He snorted. _Early attacks._ _That is likely._

There had been a good deal of information passed from Ganondorf to him over the past day. The King apparently was expecting some sort of movement in the next week, an advancement of the rebel troops to the edge of the forest. From the edge, an attack could be much more easily organized.

Which was why Stalg was here. To prevent any possible advancements.

He smiled, an expression that made a Darknut look even more fierce.

The Mask Maker's offer had been a good one. The promised rewards were monumental.

But they still paled in comparison to what Ganondorf offered.

Which was why the deal was off.

His smile broadened, which made even the nearby Miniblin shudder.

The rebels would be in for quite a surprise…

Link and Ereb arrived at the Council Tent just after Stagrim. John was bound to one of the support poles, and the Rebel Leaders were conversing in low tones on the other side of the tent.

Link approached the spy. John looked at him with a mixture of fear and hopefulness, not knowing what to expect. Link spoke quietly.

"I want you to tell me everything Ganondorf already knows about our plans."

Hesitation filled John's eyes. Link shook his head. "Tell me, or this will be much worse for you."

John sighed. "I was unable to relay much to the King-" he broke off and yelped in pain as Link slapped him across the face. He looked up, and was terrified by the coldness in the Hero's eyes.

"Don't ever call that filth 'the King'." He growled. John nodded dumbly.

"Yes, of course not. Well, as I said, I was unable to tell… him… much. He knows that there is an attack planned. He knows that there is an army gathering, though of what size he does not know. He-"

"Link! What are you doing?" came a voice. Link turned and saw Stagrim striding towards him, a frown on his face.

"Getting information." Said Link, and turned back to John. Behind him, Stagrim nodded.

"Now," Link said, sitting down, "what were you saying?"

Three days passed, during which time Ganondorf's army completed the defenses near the forest. All was silent.

A Moblin named Groggid was on guard duty. He carried a long spear, from which hung a lantern on a ring. The aura of light it created bobbed along the ground with him as he patrolled.

He was exhausted. How long had it been since he had begun his shift? At least four hours, surely. It was nearly time for his relief.

Groggid jumped as he heard a rustling in the forest. He swung his spear in the direction it had come from, but saw nothing. His eyes narrowed.

With a grunt, he started patrolling again, and turned away from the forest.

The last thing the Moblin ever heard was the ripping sound of a knife blade slicing his neck.

Two other guards were waiting for their replacements as well. They were Miniblin, and patrolled together. One thought he saw something.

"Huuch!" he hissed. "Did you see that?"

There was no answer.

"Huuch! I said did you-" He toppled over as an arrow found his heart.

A nearby Bokoblin saw him fall, and sounded the alarm. "Awake! Awake! They are here! They are-" He was silenced by another arrow.

But not soon enough.

The camp suddenly swarmed with Ganondorf's forces, snatching weapons and slapping on armor. They sped to their posts…

…A moment too late…

A surge of sudden movement caught them by surprise as scores of Gorons rolled thunderously from the forest and attacked the palisade. Koroks appeared in the tree tops and began to rain down arrows into the defenders.

Occupied with the surprise attack, none of Ganondorf's troops saw the Zoras coming.

They slipped through the night as smoothly as in water, making barely a sound. They moved around the defenses, to the far edge of the forest. Then they moved past the defenses, and moved in from the side. Their sharp eyes spotted individual enemies far before the enemies spotted them. They drew their blades silently, and began to advance. Then their advance became a run, and then a charge.

Stalg bellowed in anger as he saw a section of palisade break to the strength of the Gorons, allowing them to enter the camp. Arrows and darts were fired at them from the lookout towers, but they glanced off of the Gorons. Their skin was too thick and rocky to be pierced that way.

Stalg pulled a large blade, and sprinted at the head Goron. But before he reached the Goron, he heard a sound. A sound he had heard once before, the sound of Zora horns. They sounded clear and powerful in the night air. He turned towards the noise.

He turned again and fled.

Hundreds of Zora warriors flooded the camp, slaying the monsters. Taken by surprise, many of the defenders followed Stalg's example, and retreated.

The struggle ended in minutes. None of Ganondorf's forces that had held their ground survived. Within a day, the camp was dismantled, and rebuilt to the Rebel's purpose. The palisade was rebuilt on the other side, this time as a defense against the Castle rather than against the forest.

Ganondorf hastily ordered for his troops to reinforce the walls. For days, the sound of construction could be heard throughout Hyrule Field. Then came a silence.


	40. Chapter 39 - The Second Breath

**Chapter 39: The Second Breath**

Zelda strode quickly through the camp. All around her was bustling activity as there had been for three days now.

Women and children rushed around, often carrying baskets or pots of food ingredients. Former Hylian soldiers were training in the fields under the command of Sturden. Zoras whizzed by, often in small groups, to the siege weapon construction site, which had been moved into a concealed part of the fields. The weapons were well under way, and would soon be ready for battle.

Gorons sat resting, glistening in sweat from the heat of fires. They had been set in charge of forging armor and weapons for the Rebel army, and it was exhausting work. There was always a clamor of ringing hammers and steaming water. The Miniblin, who slowly were being accepted as a necessary part of the Rebellion, served as guards and lookouts.

Zelda smiled. She could see Old Majora in a heated argument with another man that looked slightly younger. As she passed by, she heard him shouting _No, Reginald! We need more wood coming in from the forest to-_ she rounded a corner, and could not hear what the wood was needed for.

As she turned another corner, she found herself before a great bonfire, around which the Koroks were eating. Declining several invitations to join them, she hurried on. There was no time to eat. Not now.

Not yet.

King Zora laughed. He toiled with the other Zoras in building a great catapult, which would be the first weapon to be completed. It stood tall and powerful in the morning sun. There were only the wheels to attach, and it would be ready.

"Lift!" he bellowed, and the other Zoras around him strained as they slowly brought one corner of the monstrous machine up. When it had reached the proper height, King Zora and three others lifted and set the wheel in place. A thick rod was inserted at its center, and pounded in.

The catapult was lowered. Another group of Zoras began to work on securing the wheel. As the command was repeated for another corner, _Lift!_ , one Zora began to chant a rhyme well known in Zora culture.

Another joined in, and another and another, until the whole group was chanting along.

 _The King had died, the frost had gone,_

 _The endless night had left,_

 _The one who'd lied was chased by dawn,_

 _Into the fiery cleft._

 _The sun came up, the moon went down,_

 _Rejoicing sounded all around,_

 _Darkness defeated, Light triumphant,_

 _With a great and mighty sound._

 _Then came the demon dark and cold,_

 _And slew the good and right and bold._

 _The sun had gone, the moon had risen,_

 _The demon laughed and danced,_

 _The Hero locked in fiery prison,_

 _The demon sang and pranced._

 _Then came the new King,_

 _Brave and strong,_

 _A water dweller,_

 _His fins were long._

 _At the head of a thousand,_

 _He blew his horn,_

 _At the head of a thousand,_

 _He made the demon mourn._

 _His spear was shining, his helmet gleaming,_

 _The thousand's power never seeming_

 _Less than it would need to be,_

 _Less than outright victory._

 _Then came the demon dark and cold,_

 _And slew the good and right and bold._

 _But then the Hero,_

 _The Hero of light,_

 _Broke free,_

 _And shattered the night._

 _The demon killed the King before_

 _It fell into the abyss,_

 _And then it died before it felt_

 _The warmth of victory's kiss._

 _The King was dead, the frost had gone,  
The endless night had left,_

 _The demon who was chased by dawn,_

 _Fell into the fiery cleft._

 _The sun came up, the moon went down,_

 _Rejoicing sounded all around,_

 _Darkness defeated, Light triumphant,_

 _With a great and mighty sound._

Big Brother and Tab-Nedoc walked side by side into the newly built forge. It was a hive of activity. Scores of Gorons pumped the bellows, and dozens more hammered and slammed and beat into place weapons and armor.

There was now a large pile of the results in one corner, and now Tab-Nedoc saw that there were many other such piles standing throughout the room.

He grimaced. They were beautiful works. For the Gorons, masters of the forge, even a hasty sword or helmet was intricate and decorative.

But this was not why he grimaced.

The armor was needed. The armor would soon be turning blades of enemies, would soon be covered in dirt, grime, and blood; it would soon mean life or death for the wearer. And the weapons were needed. The weapons would soon be hacking, slashing, stabbing, parrying, against the enemy. They would be tools of destruction.

And that was why he grimaced.

For he could see beyond the designs and runes and shining lights the forged metal displayed. He could hear beyond the endless _clang clang clang_ of the forge. He could feel more than cold steel on his fingers when he picked one up.

He had been chosen, because of his sharp sight and mind to be Watchman of the Mountain.

And today, for the first time, he wished for lesser abilities. He was haunted by what he saw…

It was late in the night when Ereb awoke. He had fallen asleep long hours before, tossing and turning in the terrifying stillness of the night. His blankets were soaked in hot sweat. He was panting, wide eyed and pale.

He couldn't remember what the dream had been.

But he remembered a mournful wail, a piercing scream, a lonely call; one that he had heard before.

His weariness overcame him, and he succumbed to the dark peace of slumber.

 _ASHI coMblante…_

There was only one more detail to carve, and the mask would be complete. It needed something… Something to give it a true touch of powerful mystery that he looked for in every mask he carved. When he found it, he was finished.

Old Majora's eyes turned to his small collection of various knives. They were of several different widths and thicknesses, and each was used for a different type of detail.

He passed up the thickest and widest knives; they were not right for this job. Neither did he select the thinnest and narrowest; they would give a defined enough cut.

He selected three knives, all of which were about the same size, and weighed each in his hand before making up his mind.

He set two down, and smiled at the last.

"Yes, you'll do." He muttered.

Grasping the chosen knife carefully in his fingers, he began to slowly slide it up and down the cheek of the nearly finished mask he was carving. He cut three delicate, curving lines into its surface, and upon finishing, admired the work.

He was interrupted by a knock at the post outside his tent.

"Mr. Majora? Are you there?"

He swiftly locked the mask in a box before turning to meet the visitor. He smiled.

"Ah, Link! Welcome. I was half wondering when you would come."

Link entered, frowning slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He looked for a time at the knife Old Majora was holding, and then shook his head.

"You should really be faster at hiding your work, you know." He said. "Tools included."

Old Majora gave his hands, which were coated in a fine layer of sawdust, a guilty look. His eyes locked on Link, and a smile played at his lips. "Well, what do you expect of an old man like me? Speed is no option, and what else would I do? I am a mask maker. That is my occupation. Without it, I would have nothing to do but sit and think."

Link nodded, the frown gone. "Well, I came to alert you that you are needed in the Council Tent. There is a strategy meeting about to be held."

Old Majora stood and dusted himself off. "Very well then." He sighed. "I am ready."


	41. Chapter 40 - The Plunge

**Chapter 40: The Plunge**

Two days later, morning dawned with a triumphance never seen before in Hyrule.

The sky was dipped in a fresh coat of blue. The clouds, shining white in billowing towers of soaring beauty, cast barely a shadow as they sailed overhead. The grass was greener than it had ever been.

A bird, soaring through a thin wisp of cloud, spotted a worm far below. It was the largest, shiniest worm it had ever seen.

With a trill of elated song, the bird twirled through the air, and flipped, speeding at the worm as fast as its wings could take it.

It was puzzled to find that the worm was not a worm. Wondering at this and angry at missing such a chance, it flapped away, having little knowledge or care for what the worm might actually be.

It was a long flowing mass of beings clad in the armor and marching behind the banners of their races. It was a uniform being, a singular power, the will of many personified as one.

One group. One mass. One body. One power. One army. One.

And the banners that fluttered on their poles before the army were not, in reality, banners of the races represented in the army. They were symbols of the Cause.

The Cause that united them all. The Cause that they would fight to the death for. The Cause that none would lose sight of.

And in these moments, in these fleeting times of unity, the Cause shed its mysterious cloak of ignorance and gave its followers a true comprehension of its being.

It was a Cause of freedom, a Cause that told them to break the chains of oppression that the traitor had put on them. It was a Cause of equality, a Cause that told them that they were equal, that united them under its banner.

It was a Cause of belief, of faith, of hope, of love, of rightness.

The Cause told them that none should follow the traitor, and none should be forced to. The Cause told them that the traitor had no right to lead them, or to force them to. The Cause reminded them of the past.

It whispered of the dead Zoras, whose lives had been ended before their times. It murmured of lost homes, of ruined lives. It spoke of betrayal, and of murder.

And it shouted of freedom. It rallied its followers to itself, united them, inspired them, and lit them with a fire of power. Of might and strength. Of courage and bravery.

And each and every member of the group, the mass, the body, the power, the army, knew what must be done.

And they would do it.

The Leaders marched at the head. Zelda, Old Majora, Stagrim, King Zora, Big Brother, Bruustow, and Mido. Then followed the Hylians. Link, Elnor and Ereb marched before them, breastplates glittering, jaws set.

Then followed the Miniblin. Then the Zoras. Behind the Zoras, the siege weapons were pushed and pulled along on their great wheels. Behind the siege weapons marched the Gorons. The Koroks marched throughout the army, and especially with the Miniblin, who they had developed an unlikely friendship with.

Hyrule Castle was in sight. Its white walls and blue roofs stood out resplendent and defined against the blueness of the sky.

A red Gueredo flag waved from the topmost turret.

Hatred and power built in the Rebel's hearts.

There would be blood today.


	42. Chapter 41 - Ultimatum

**Chapter 41: Ultimatum**

Link and Ereb broke off from the Hylians and joined the leaders. The army marched on until the Rebels were just beyond the range of arrows, and then a white flag was raised. After a moment, another was raised on the Castle wall. The Rebel leaders moved forward.

The gate of the Castle opened, and Stalg came out. Fully armored in gleaming plates, he looked all the more fierce in the morning sun. He was flanked by six Bokoblin and four Moblins.

He gripped his sword hilt with one hand as he strode forward. He and his guards stopped a few yards away.

A tense moment of silence. Then, Zelda took a deep, steadying breath, and walked forward to meet the Darknut General. The other leaders followed.

Link gave the Castle walls several glances as he walked. There was no sign of activity that he could see. It could be a trap, or a trick. _Or maybe Ganondorf is actually going to honor the white flag._ He thought. Then he shook his head. _Never mind._

There were troops up there. He occasionally caught a glimpse of a huddled shape moving slightly. Ganondorf was trying to hide his defenses.

He glared at Stalg. He had heard what the Darknut was capable of.

Zelda drew herself up to her full height, which came up to a bit below Stalg's waist. She started to speak.

"We have come here, united against Ganondorf, who calls himself king of Hyrule. We are the peoples of Hyrule, here to reject and challenge him, if he is not too cowardly."

Stalg's eyes bored down at her with a flaming power. "The King will not hear your challenge."

"Then you shall all die, as did so many of my people." Said King Zora fiercely. "We came not to exchange words, but to exchange blows!"

Big Brother also spoke. "The Gorons will not see our brothers disgraced and oppressed. You have the warning of the Big Brother."

Mido said nothing. Old Majora fingered something in his pouch, and also remained silent.

Ereb stepped forward suddenly, and shouted at the Castle walls above them. "I know you're listening, Ganondorf! I know you're watching!"

There was suddenly a flash of red light. Ganondorf stood before Ereb.

For several long moments, all were too shocked to speak. Before they could find their voices, Ganondorf was already speaking. "Yes, Ereb, I am listening and watching. I would be a fool to do otherwise, when an enemy arrives on my doorstep."

His gaze turned on Link. "Ah, yes. And the Hero has joined you, I see. Are you here to collect the reward for his capture?"

Link was the first to recover from the shock of seeing the traitor appear. He drew his sword.

"We are here, Ganondorf," he growled, "to offer you a choice."

Zelda gave Link a quick look. This was not the plan. What was he doing?

Ganondorf shook his head. "And what would that choice be?" he asked, lip curled.

The Rebels were all staring at Link. There was total stillness.

"The choice is this." Said Link. "Surrender the rule of Hyrule to Princess Zelda, rightful heir to the throne, send your forces home, leaving behind all armor and weaponry, and be banished from the Kingdom forever.

"Or be destroyed. The first is more than you deserve, Ganondorf, far more."

Ganondorf eyed Link tactfully. "And why do you, of all people, offer me this choice? Why do _you_ , whose friend I kidnapped, whose mentor I killed, whose life I ruined, whose trust I betrayed, and whose enemy I am, offer me a choice like this?"

Link's stare was as icy as a glacier. "S o that when I destroy you, it will be complete. If you refuse, you give up even the chance at self preservation, and with it, everything. You will lose everything."

Ganondorf blinked. He had not expected this. He had expected some ramble about nobility and goodness, not this. He had underestimated the Hero.

He had not counted on the Hero being capable of hatred and revenge. He cursed his own foolishness. Link was human, Hero or not. And humans are capable of all emotion.

 _Perhaps I pushed him too far._ He thought.

There was a long silence. Link either did not see or ignored the glances Zelda and Ereb gave him. He was locked in a mental struggle. He saw the end in sight, and all his anger and hatred towards Ganondorf were rushing up from hidden crevices, but he could not rely on them. Not anymore.

That much he had learned from the second trial.

He now recognized his anger and hatred and vengeance for what they truly were. His anger came from his fear. It was a consuming force, a powerful wave that pushed him past his fear and into doing what he needed to.

And his hatred and vengeance came from despair. He hated Ganondorf because of what the traitor had done to him and his friends. He felt a burning need for revenge because of it.

But into it played another factor. He was the Hero, and was destined to strike down the Dark Power. And the Dark Power was Ganondorf.

That was why he offered Ganondorf the choice.

Finally, Zelda broke the silence. "What is your choice?" she demanded.

Ganondorf seemed to come back into the present. He was very still for a long moment, and then suddenly whipped his sword out.

"Here is my answer!" he cried.

He swung the blade into King Zora. The King yelped in pain, and dropped to the ground, staring at his severed arm in shock.

Ereb pulled his sword, and charged at Ganondorf, who disappeared as suddenly as he had arrived. The Bokoblin and Darknuts attacked. Stalg was gone.

Link pulled his own sword, and as one he and Ereb attacked.

Link ran a Moblin through, reflecting in an instant that it had been Moblins who killed his father. He ripped his blade out of the creature with increased ferocity, and spinning, beheaded a Bokoblin.

By this time several Hyilans had joined the fray. The battle was brief. Ganondorf's troops had had no chance.

But Ganondorf had not been idle. The defenders on the walls were redoubled, and many were already stringing their bows.

"Retreat!" cried one of the Hylians, and the Rebels fled out of bow range. King Zora was carried by Stagrim and Big Brother.

They met back with a thoroughly disgruntled army. Confusion reigned for a time, while the leaders returned to their forces. King Zora was sent to a medical tent, while General Haelberg took over.

"Catapults forward!" he cried. Scores of Zoras began pushing and shoving the machines into place. There were seven catapults in all.

"Load!"

Seven small boulders were heaved into place.

"Aim!"

Dozens of Zoras turned large cranks. The catapult arms slowly swiveled until they were lined up with their targets.

The Hylians regrouped under the command of Stagrim. He drew his sword. Big Brother pounded on a Goron drum. The Koroks let loose a wild cry. The Miniblin began to chant. _Death! Blood! Tooth and Claw!_

On the castle walls, Stalg oversaw a force of seventy archers. He took a deep breath.

And in the same moment, as one, the two generals, the two enemies, Haelberg and Stalg, issued their command.

"FIRE!"


	43. Chapter 42 - Clash of the Walls

**Part 7: Struggles With The Darkness**

 **Chapter 42: Clash of the Walls**

Fraggen, a Bokoblin archer, loosed his arrow first. It was immediately followed by dozens of others. The arrows sliced through the air with a savage _hiss_ , and with dozens of dull thuds, they littered the ground before the Rebels.

And then he saw them.

Seven huge rocks, streaking through the air with incredible speed. They blotted out the little sunlight left. And then the meager light reappeared, and they struck.

One crushed a nearby archer. Four sailed over the walls altogether, landing with sickening crunches as they smashed their targets.

The other two slammed into the walls with such force that for a moment, Fraggen thought he felt the stone shake beneath him.

Then he heard his name called behind him. He whirled around, and came face to face with his Clan Chief. The Chief's face was covered in foul smelling Bokoblin blood.

"You… are chief now, Fraggen…" the Chief managed to say, before he collapsed.

Fraggen had little time to understand what had happened. He turned around, and this time came face to face with an arrow head.

The momentary Clan Chief was dead.

The Hylians took another step forward. Stagrim waved his sword again. "Fire!"

Another flight of arrows flew at the walls. Several more Bokoblin archers fell. Stagrim smiled. "Load!" he cried again.

The Hylians nocked arrows to their bowstrings.

"Aim!...Fire!"

Haelberg had left the siege weapons and joined the main Zora force. There were two hundred there, wielding their thin blades and clad in full Zora armor.

One of the vanguard stepped forward and held out a mighty spear; the spear of King Zora.

"You lead the Zoras into battle, General." He said. "You must lead us with the Spear of the King."

Haelberg took it slowly, gripping it, weighing it in his grasp. He nodded. He looked to the Zoras, and shouted.

 _The beast who killed our families, our sons, fathers, husbands! Who attacked us! Who wounded our King! Who even now mocks us in the Castle he does not rightfully own!_

 _He is Ganondorf! Traitor! Murderer! And the force of evil we strive to defeat!_

 _The Zoras will fight, and we shall be victorious! And when all is finished, and the blood of our enemies stains the ground, we will have peace!_

 _But not today! Today, we have war! Today, we have battle! Today, we have victory!_

He raised the spear above his head, and shook it. " _Victory!_ " he bellowed. The other Zoras took up the cry.

 _VICTORY!_

With a mighty shout, the Zoras charged at the walls, their blue and green scales glinting in the sun. From the walls, it seemed as if a living river was rushing for the Castle.

A flight of arrows shot down among the Zoras, killing many, but the water dwellers would not be stopped. They ran on, until they stood before the walls. Ladders were brought forward, and the Zoras began to raise them.

Big Brother led the Gorons away from the Castle and into a grove of trees connected to the Kokiri Forest by a narrow strip of foliage. Using the trees as cover, they moved quickly around the castle and through the outskirts of the forest, out of sight of the Castle.

The first ladder hit the wall. Immediately, General Haelberg was climbing with a group of Zoras behind him. They were met at the top by the Bokoblin archers and a small force of Miniblin. One of the Miniblin ran at one of the Zoras, and with a leap, kicked the warrior back. His legs hit the battlements, and he toppled backwards from the walls.

Link dodged his way across the ground, and joined the Zoras. He leaped onto a ladder, drew his sword, and began to climb. There was a tremendous din atop the wall, of swords ringing and warriors shouting.

The first thing he saw as he mounted the wall was Haelberg. He was everywhere, hacking stabbing and blocking. None withstood the Spear of the Zora Kings.

Link clambered over the battlements and onto the wall. A Bokoblin charged him. He whipped his sword up, meeting the enemy's blade with a loud _clash_. The Bokoblin swished its sword to the side, and with a growl, swiped it at Link. Link blocked.

The Bokoblin, enraged, bull rushed Link. Caught by surprise, Link did the first thing that came to his mind. He held his sword out. The Bokoblin impaled itself on the blade. Link pulled the sword out of its body, and ran to Haelberg's side.

Ereb, meanwhile, was with the Miniblin and Koroks. They had moved around to another wall in the confusion, and were now raising ladders of their own. The Miniblin climbed onto the wall, and mingled with Ganondorf's Miniblin. They would move on the signal, but for now must pretend to fight the Rebels.

Ereb smiled. All was going according to plan…


	44. Chapter 43 - The Forbidden Power

**Chapter 43: The Forbidden Power**

Ganondorf drew his swords, and vanished from the throne room. He reappeared in the courtyard. He saw Link fighting on the wall, back to back with the Zora general. They had been surrounded by reinforcements from the barracks.

He watched as Haelberg feinted a movement to the left, while Link lunged forward and moved to the left. Haelberg then reversed his movement to the right. Disoriented, a Bokoblin swung his blade, and missed. The Bokoblin lost its arm, followed by the other, and was kicked down.

Using the sudden opening, Link dodged past a Moblin and stabbed another Bokoblin. Haelberg moved out behind him, and together they broke free of the trap, turning and cornering their attackers.

Another ladder now reached the wall, and Zoras poured over the battlements. The defenders on the wall were outnumbered. Ganondorf could hear Stalg shouting orders.

"Fall back! To the courtyard! Shoot them down! Shoot them down!"

Ganondorf sighed. This was the third time that Stalg had proven his cowardice. Ganondorf would have to find another General soon…

Three Koroks stealthily climbed the ladder. Their small size made them invisible in the confusion. They dodged their way along the wall, and headed for the rooftops of the town.

Big Brother and the Gorons left the cover of the forest. They had circled around the Castle to the back, near the southern corner. They curled up and rolled the distance to the Castle, and then got to work.

There was another gate in the back of the Castle, little used and poorly guarded normally. But Ganondorf had counted on an attack from the rear at some point. The Gorons were met by a force of burly Darknuts, heavily armed.

But the Gorons were angry. And when Gorons get angry, things happen. Big things.

Things like Darknuts flying through the air, and swords snapping in two.

The Koroks, of whom Makar and Mido were two, crept along the rooftop of an abandoned market shop. They strung their stick bows, and nocked arrows to the strings.

There. There was their target, hurrying through the street. A nervous looking Moblin carrying a jangling ring of keys. He was the gatekeeper, and what he was to open must not be opened.

So the Koroks stopped him.

Without a word, they all fired in the same moment. All three arrows met their marks, and the Moblin stumbled and toppled to the ground with a surprised gasp.

Meanwhile, the siege weapons were on the move. The Zoras were pushing them to the east side of the Castle, preparing for the next stage of the assault.

Big Brother stopped Gar-Mako's pummeling on the gate. "It will not open that easily, brother." He said. "Allow me."

Gar-Mako stepped aside. Big Brother drew a deep breath, and at that moment, a force of Moblins appeared on the inside.

Big Brother released the breath, and with it, his fist. With a tremendously powerful _slam_ , the gate's hinges snapped. The Moblins lowered their spears, prepared for the Gorons to charge.

What charged instead was the gate, which hurtled in at them, crushing two.

Zelda, Old Majora and Sturden had joined the Zoras at the siege weapons, which were being loaded. Sturden took over.

"Load!" he bellowed. Seven small boulders were set into place.

"Aim!...Fire!"

Five of the shots slammed into the wall and then dropped. The other two penetrated.

Zelda shook her head as she saw a section of the wall crumble. "No matter what happens, Ganondorf will get at least one victory." She said, tears in her eyes. "He will make us destroy our home to destroy him."

Ganondorf's movement was far quicker than three Bokoblins nearby when a catapult shot flew over the wall and into the courtyard. But even his speed had barely been enough. He gave the mangled corpses a disgusted look.

"This is ridiculous." He snarled, and sped to the wall.

Link was suddenly confronted by Ganondorf, who had come seemingly out of nowhere. The traitor swung at him with jarring strength. Link snapped his sword up, forced to deflect the blow rather than block it. But Ganondorf was already swinging his other sword. Link dodged to the side, blocking with bock hands on his sword.

Their blades locked. Ganondorf's breath came in raspy bursts. His eyes were becoming dark.

"You will not defeat me!" said a voice. It was not Ganondorf's voice. "I took the Forbidden Power! I am invincible!"

Link's jaw dropped as he felt a blast of fiery air strike him. In a split second, he saw a Miniblin stab General Haelberg. The general would survive, perhaps.

But then thought because impossible, and the absurd moment passed. He was flying, falling, slamming to the ground. He blacked out.

The Koroks, Gorons, Zoras, and Hylians heard a thunderclap. They looked up, and were blown away.

 _ASHI coMblante…_


	45. Chapter 44 - Comatose

**Chapter 44: Comatose**

Link heard birds singing. They chirped in discordant melodies, each competing for volume.

He felt something cold on his forehead, and a blanket over him. He tried to open his eyes, but could not. There was a sudden throbbing behind his right eye. He felt feverish.

He tried to open his eyes again, and this time succeeded. The world was a blur of bland colors. He blinked a few times, but his vision stayed blurry. He heard voices.

"He's awake."

"Thank God."

"Does he still have the-"

"Yes, he does. Where is a Zora when you need one?"

"Calm down, Zelda. Just stay calm. Link? Can you hear me?"

Link tried to answer, but all that came was a muffled groan. He thought he saw movement through the blur, and he heard one of the voices saying "I'll see if they're back, then."

The blur lightened for a moment, and then grew dark again. He thought he saw something leaning over him. His vision darkened, and he began to slip back into unconsciousness.

"Hold on, Link. Hold on…"

Some of the Zoras returned in groups, others came alone. All were weak, though fortunately there were few injuries. The siege weapons had disappeared. No one had seen the three Koroks since before the battle, and the Gorons had also vanished. The Miniblin, for all the Rebels knew, were having to lay low in the ranks of their brethren in Ganondorf's service.

After the battle, many of the Hylians had helped those who were unconscious return to their camp. The following night, Ganondorf's forces had advanced across the field, forcing the Rebels to flee back into the forest again.

That was four days ago now, and so far, only half of the missing soldiers were accounted for. A spy reported that Ganondorf was in the process of repairing the damaged walls, and would soon be adding another line of defense against the forest.

There was little hope still burning in the hearts of the Rebels.

But something was about to stir the dying embers into a blaze…

A Korok named Linder was on watch duty. She scanned the forest with wide sweeping looks, as her father had taught her. Life in the Kokiri Forest was perilous normally, but with an enemy at the door, caution was much more necessary.

She also had learned to listen intently to every sound, and even at her young age (for a Korok) of seventy-two years, she already had the ability to discern the causes of sounds. She knew the difference between the light rustling of a branch by a doe and the snap of a twig under the heavy foot of a predator.

Motion. Dark shapes stealthily moved towards her. Her eyes locked on one of them, and, perfectly still, she waited. The moonlight streaming through the canopy of leaves far above suddenly illuminated the figure for an instant. It was a Goron.

She leaped down, and stepped toward the Goron. He looked surprised at first, but then recognized her as a Korok.

"Hello, friend." He said grimly. "Where are the others?"

She leaned to the side inquisitively. "Which of the Gorons are you?"

"I am Bor-Felig, a guard of Death Mountain." Linder's sharp eyes caught the flash of resentment that passed over his face as he spoke the words.

"And the others?"

"They are the survivors of the battle who were with Big Brother. Big Brother himself is here as well."

"Yes, sister, I am here." Came a deep voice. Linder turned, and saw a large Goron approaching with a smile. "We all… took a little nap, you see, sister. Something made a great noise. Too loud for Goron ears, I suppose."

Linder nodded. "Very well then, friend Gorons. Come behind me to the camp."

Big Brother gave her a quick glance. "I had thought something like this would happen. We were forced back into the forest then, sister?"

Linder again nodded.

Big Brother sighed. "And Tab-Nedoc dead as well… This is a dark day."

They followed Linder in the direction of the camp. No one saw the look of satisfaction in Bor-Felig's eyes…

Zelda hurried through the camp, looking for a Zora. The water dwellers were naturally skilled in the healing arts, and if she could find one, perhaps Link would be alright.

Then she saw King Zora. His stump arm was bandaged, and he looked older, but he was there. She approached him tentatively, and dropped into a quick courtesy.

"King Zora, it is good to see you about again." She said, remembering that she was the rightful Queen of Hyrule.

King Zora smiled. "And it is good to be about again." He said. "I am afraid I wasn't much help in the battle, was I?" He shook his head. "But I have heard things. Many things, from the healers and others in passing. Link. He is wounded."

Zelda nodded, trying to maintain her composure. She was surprised to see tears flow down King Zora's cheeks. He sighed. "What is wrong with him?"

Tears now fell from Zelda's eyes too. "Come with me." She said.

Ereb had never once left Link's side since the Hero had been recovered from the battle field. He was sound asleep when Zelda and King Zora entered. They quietly went to Link's side. King Zora shook his head. "He is unconscious. Has he always been so?"

"No," said Zelda, "he woke a while ago. He must have blacked out again after I left to find a Zora healer."

The King looked down at his stump arm. "I will not be as much help as I could have been, had Ganondorf not proven such a coward. But I will do what I can."

He removed the wet cloth on Link's head, and put his hand on Link's forehead. Being a water dweller, he could sense the temperature despite the dampness from the cloth.

"He has no fever. That, at least, is a good sign."

Zelda looked relieved. "He has no fever?" she let out a thankful sigh. "He had one up until now."

The Zora nodded. "He will need more care than a Zora can offer." He said.

Dismayed, Zelda asked "What? I thought Zoras were the best healers there are."

King Zora shook his head. "We are skilled, but the Gorons are the true healers. But they rarely are injured or sickened. Most of them are too tough to be harmed. But they know much about things like Link's symptoms."

"But no Gorons have returned!" Zelda said. Ereb mumbled in his sleep, and she spoke more quietly. "No one has seen them in far too long. Their attack must have either failed completely, or else Ganondorf killed them in the blast."

The Zora's eyes widened. "Ganondorf. He was responsible for the-"

"Who else?"

King Zora shook his head. "He must have found it then."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Found what?"

At that moment, there was a cry outside. "They have returned! Hurray! The Gorons! They have returned!"

Without another word, Zelda and King Zora rushed outside.

Big Brother walked proudly into the camp, with many of the Gorons who had followed him in the attack behind him. He smiled broadly at the Princess and King striding over.

"Greetings, Brother Zora and Sister Princess! We have returned."

A great cheer went up. The Goron leader laughed. "I am glad to see that you at least are safe." His expression changed to one of concern. "I was told much by the Korok scout. What is happening?"

"We should talk elsewhere." Said Zelda. "Come with me."

"Then things are worse than I was told." Said Big Brother after hearing Zelda's news.

The three of them, Big Brother, King Zora, and Zelda, were sitting in a small tent nearby the medical tent where Link was kept.

"Yes, and there is more." Zelda replied. "Link is badly hurt. He has been unconscious for several days. He woke up this morning, but then passed out again. He had a fever, but now it is gone."

Big Brother nodded. "Heat." He said. "Tremendous heat, sister. That is what caused this."

"But he is not burned." Said King Zora. "Heat would burn him, would it not?"

King Zora shook his head. "Not the kind of Heat I am thinking of. Where is he?"

Link was dreaming. It was a dream he had had before, in Death Mountain, when the Elder had spoken to him.

He marched at the head of an army. He could not who see they were, but they followed him, and he knew they were allies.

He led the army across the sea of tan he had seen before in his dreams. He led them in a certain direction, sure of himself, and of his goal.

Then the dream blurred, and he stood before a black tower. The tower gate opened, and Ganondorf walked out. His vision blurred again, and now they were fighting. Neither seemed to be getting an advantage. And then Ganondorf shouted something Link could not hear.

The dream blurred again, and he saw Ganondorf run him through…

He snapped into wakefulness, panting, eyes wide. He heard someone murmuring something to him, and he lay back. After a few minutes lying there, his memory returned. He realized that he could see clearly now. The blurry fog that had covered the world before was gone.

He looked around, confused. He had no memory of coming here. The last thing he remembered was fighting Ganondorf, and then a blast of hot air, and then nothing.

He saw Ereb sitting in a chair beside the bed he lay in. He was beaming. "Are you better?" he asked, and then shook his head, and mumbled something about being stupid. "Sorry, I'm just tired." He said. Link nodded, now even more confused.

He then looked the other way, and saw Big Brother. The Goron Chieftain was smiling as well. "Yes, Brother Ereb, he is better now." He looked at Link. "How do you feel?"

Link thought a moment, and then repeated Ereb's statement. "Tired."

Big Brother nodded. "Sleep, then, brother. You will recover in time. The traitor's spell did much to harm you."

Link nodded blearily, suddenly exhausted. He fell back against the pillow, and was sound asleep in moments.


	46. Chapter 45 - Bruustow's Last Stand

**Chapter 45: Bruustow's Last Stand**

Ganondorf strode through the Great Hall of Hyrule Castle. He was awaiting the arrival of Stalg. He ground his teeth in frustration. Stalg! That pathetic excuse for a General! He had proven himself cowardly too often in the Gueredo's mind. He would be replaced.

Then he saw him. The Darknut was dressed in full gleaming armor, walking nonchalantly towards Ganondorf as if he didn't have a care in the world. Ganondorf sneered. Stalg would care much more very soon.

The General approached, and bowed. Ganondorf was disgusted to see how ridiculous the formerly fierce Darknut now looked. He wondered for a moment if there was a reason for the General's recent change of behavior, but then decided that it really didn't matter. Whatever the Darknut was doing would be over with in the next few minutes. 

Stalg's rough voice interrupted his thoughts. "You summoned me, Master?"

"Yes, General Stalg. I summoned you. Now I want you to tell me something."

"Yes, Master?"

"Why are you calling me _Master_?"

"To show my respect for-"

"Wrong answer." Ganondorf growled, and shoved both of his blades into the Darknut, one through the gun and one in the head.

Shocked, the Darknut gave a confused gurgle before he collapsed, dead.

Ganondorf shook his head. Blood was beginning to flow from the body. He turned away, and walked down the hall. A regiment of Miniblin marched past. He gasped sharply. For a moment, he had thought he recognized one of them.

He shook his head. There was no chance. Bruustow would never have summoned the courage to return. Not after the threats Ganondorf had shouted after him as he fled. But then again…

He drew his cloak about him, and stealthily followed the regiment. They led him in a long patrol through the Castle, until they reached a crossway. The regiment split in two, and half continued down each hall.

Hastily scanning the Miniblin, Ganondorf chose a group and followed. He reflected that he _could_ just order the Miniblin to halt and then search for Bruustow, but if Bruustow was actually in the group, he would realize that Ganondorf recognized him, and would try to escape.

And even if the Miniblin did not make it, if there were other spies among his ranks, they would be alerted of their discovery, and might simply escape altogether. That could not be risked.

Keeping his distance, he followed his chosen group. Then he realized that he had chosen correctly. The Miniblin marched on until they were halfway through the hall, and then broke up. Then he saw the Miniblin he had been looking for.

Bruustow was rearranging the ranks of the regiment, and then speaking to them in a low voice. Ganondorf strained to hear.

"It is time." Bruustow said. "Four days have passed. We can wait no longer. It is only a matter of time before they discover that we are not part of the army. We must fight our way out."

One of the Miniblin spoke up. "Why can't we sneak out?"

Bruustow sighed. "There are too many of us to escape unnoticed. If we take them by surprise, we might have a chance for most of us to escape. The Rebels were forced back into the forest. We will try to rejoin them."

He pulled his short sword. "Now is the time. We are all from the Black Caves, and that will be our battle cry! On my signal, we attack. Follow me."

The force of Miniblin, blades drawn, hurried down the hall and out. Ganondorf frowned. They were headed towards the _back_ gate…

The _broken_ back gate…

The south-east courtyard was full of Ganondorf's soldiers. Most were unarmed, as the courtyard had been given to them as their living quarters. But there were many who carried a sword or spear.

Bruustow's Miniblin entered the courtyard marching in regimental file, which drew little attention. They moved across the courtyard in a roundabout way, as if on patrol, and then finally turned to the gatehouse. From here, Bruustow could see the tunnel leading to the gate, guarded by several Moblins. But beyond was the outside. The gate was not yet repaired.

He drew a deep breath. Suddenly, Ganondorf appeared from nowhere.

The Gueredo's mind was in turmoil. He had a choice to make, and less than seconds to make it. If he set his soldiers on the Miniblin, it would alert other spies…

But then, seeing Bruustow die after the way he had changed sides…

He decided. "Kill them!" he shouted, pointing at the Miniblin.

Bruustow's eyes widened. "The Black Caves!" he shouted, and the other Miniblin echoed his cry. "THE BLACK CAVES!"

They charged at the gatehouse. The soldiers were hastily trying to grab their weapons. Those who were already armed were chasing after the Miniblin.

Three fell to arrows from the wall. They died with anguished squeals. The Moblins from the gatehouse lowered their spears and thundered out of the tunnel at the Miniblin. For Bruustow, every second was a minute.

He saw the Moblins getting closer… closer… He heard clashes of metal as Miniblin behind him turned and fought their pursuers. He heard himself shouting. "The Black Caves!"

The Miniblin shouted with him. The Moblins and Miniblin were yards away from each other.

"The Black Caves!"

The two groups crashed into each other. Miniblin were impaled on the Moblins' spears. Moblins were cut down by the short blades of the Miniblin. Blood flew.

And then the Miniblin were surrounded. They formed a circle, back to back, blades out. Bokoblins rushed them, hacking Miniblin apart. A Darknut smashed them with an enormous club. Moblins lunged at them.

And then Bruustow was the only one left. He ran at the Bokoblins, swinging his sword. But he was too slow. His hand fell to the ground, still holding his sword. He cried out in pain.

"Stop!" Ganondorf shouted. His soldiers parted, and he strode forward.

Bruustow glared up at him. "You will be destroyed, Ganondorf!" he hissed.

Ganondorf sneered, and drew one sword. Without warning, he suddenly ran Bruustow through. The Miniblin gasped, and died. Ganondorf lifted the body, still on his sword.

"You first." He growled venomously…


	47. Chapter 46 - Back to the Mountain

**Chapter 46: Back to the Mountain**

Link awoke early the next morning. He felt a new vigor in his limbs, and could think clearly.

He got up, and dressed. He smiled at Ereb, who was asleep in the chair. He belted on his sword. He was pulling on his boots when the tent flap opened and Big Brother entered.

"Ah, Hero!" he said. "I told you that you would be better after sleep, did I not?"

Link grinned. "Yes you did." He answered, and then his manner became graver. "Big Brother, I need to know what happened. I don't remember anything."

Big Brother sighed. "I could not tell you. I am sorry. I, too, remember nothing."

Link nodded, disappointed. "Who _can_ tell me?"

"Zelda could, or maybe me." Came another voice. Link turned around, and smiled to see that Ereb was awake. "You were fighting Ganondorf, and there was a loud noise. Almost everyone was knocked unconscious. You were too. Whatever it was, the noise sent everyone flying. You landed hard, and we were worried your back had been broken, but you were fine."

"But then you had a fever, and you wouldn't wake up. Until yesterday, that is."

Link sighed, nodding. "And what about everyone else?"

Ereb's face fell. "The Miniblin must still be hiding out in the Castle. They never had a chance to get out. Makar, Mido, and another Korok haven't been found.

"The Gorons were thought to be lost for good until yesterday, when Big Brother returned. Most of the Hylians are accounted for. Only sixty or seventy Zoras returned, and General Haelberg was not with them."

Link shook his head. The news was devastating. They had lost. "And where are we now?" he asked. He had not seen the outside yet.

"Back in the Kokiri Forest." Answered Big Brother.

Link dropped into another chair, completely crushed. "And Elnor? Has anyone heard from Elnor? Is he alive?" he asked, worried for his friend.

Ereb shook his head. "He is one of the missing." He said quietly.

Link sat there in silence for a long while. He didn't know what to do. He recalled the old man's words: _Friends will fall. And you will lose everything you ever had in one moment._

Could this be what he had spoken of? Or was the worst yet to come?

He abruptly stood. "No." he growled. "This is not the end."

Without a glance at Big Brother or Ereb, he stormed out of the tent.

The greetings of those who saw him well again were quickly silenced when the greeters saw the look in Link's eyes. He walked out of the camp, and started to run. He ran until he could run no more, through the forest, around trees, over rocks, he ran.

And when he had to stop, he pulled out his sword and plunged it into the ground.

He panted for breath until he could breathe normally. The sunlight beamed down through the leaves above him, painting intricate patterns of light on the forest floor.

And he wept. He poured out all of his emotion. He poured out all of his misery. He poured out all of his loss.

His father, the King, his friends who had been murdered in the Sacred Chamber, Sir Marcus, Ereb, Zelda, General Haelberg, his home, Mido, Makar, Elnor, he poured them all out onto the forest floor.

And when he could weep no more, he stood, and pulled his sword from the ground. He sheathed it, and looked around him. He selected the tallest tree, and began to climb. He shimmied up the trunk until he could reach the branches, and then climbed the rest of the way.

When he reached the top, the branches were still thick and strong. He carefully eased himself onto one, and then, grabbing the tree trunk for support, stood on it. He could see everything from this height.

He saw the eastern mountains, stabbing into the sky far away. He saw Lake Hylia, a tiny patch of blue glittering in the sunlight. He saw the rest of the Kokiri Forest, stretching far behind him and to the sides, a vast sea of green.

And then he looked straight forward. He saw a minute Hyrule Castle, its white turrets seeming to gleam in the sun. He saw a miniscule black and red flag atop its tallest turret.

He remembered his dream, and felt a sudden wave of fear. He suddenly wanted to do nothing more than flee, to run away, to reject everything.

He felt dizzy, and lost his balance. He fell from the branch. He shot out his hand, and managed to grip a branch mid fall. He was shaking.

He hung there a moment, and then dropped to the ground. It took him several minutes to recover from the shock. When his heart stopped pounding, he shook his head. What had happened? He had known fear before. He had faced death. But never had he been so affected by what he saw coming.

Had his dream been only that? Nothing but a dream? Or had it been something darker, a vision of what was to come?

He could not digest the idea.

Link stood, and began to make his way back to the camp. And as he walked, he felt better. It was as if he was moving away from the fear and towards his fate.

He strode into the camp determined and changed.

He would miss Elnor. He would miss Haelberg. But the sorrow of their disappearances was outweighed by the iron will that had been forged.

An idea came to him. He remembered the Sacred Chamber, and the First Trial. He remembered the fire worm, and the light beyond…

"Ah, yes. The Sacred Chamber passage." Said Big Brother. "It was built when the Castle was constructed in the old days between Death Mountain and Hyrule Castle."

Link nodded, a smile growing. "Where is the entrance in Death Mountain?"

Big Brother laughed. "We do not know, brother, but there is a verse from the Great Scroll that speaks of it."

 _…The doorway in the mountain to the castle of Hyrule,, dug by Keshin and Triptin._

"…There is no other mention of it, but it was once used often by the Goron Lords."

Link sighed. "It would have to be somewhere that fire worms could get in."

"Fire worms? Do you speak of the Dondogos?"

Link glanced up, and was surprised to see fear in Big Brother's eyes. "I don't know." Said Link.

Big Brother shuddered. "They are great lizards that live in the fire caverns. Some call them dragons, but they are not true dragons. They are very dangerous, even to Gorons. That is why they have been contained."

"Contained?" said Link, curious.

"Yes, in the fire caverns. The seal is checked frequently to ensure that they are still contained. If the seal broke, we would all be doomed."

Link nodded. "Then the entrance to the passage must be in the fire caverns." He muttered. "The fire worm was there, and how else could one get there? Could one be captured?"

Big Brother shook his head vigorously. "No, no. They are too fierce to be captured. You must be correct. But what is your purpose with the passage, brother?"

A grim smile came upon Link's face. "You will see."

He discussed his plan with Zelda, Ereb, Old Majora, and Stagrim.

"But the journey takes several days, Link." Said Zelda. "And Ganondorf is preparing. He will not just leave us alone for days. Not now."

Link nodded. "That is why I will need a diversion. Delay him any way you can. If all else fails, attempt another attack."

Stagrim shook his head. "No. No, Link. You are talking about lives here. Many could die in the time it took you to get there. We can't carry this out."

Link sighed. "I know. But there is no other way. We already are running out of time, and the last attempt to attack we made ended in disaster. Another attempt, weakened as we are, could break us. This is our only chance at getting to Ganondorf before he gets to us."

Old Majora nodded, and stood. "Well, I, for one, agree with Link. We are short on time, and every minute we delay is a minute closer to danger. This is the best plan I have heard."

Zelda reluctantly agreed as well. "I don't like it, but it may be the only thing we _can_ do."

Stagrim remained stolid. "I will not agree to this plan. The Princess and the Maskmaker might, but I do not. However, if go you must, I wish you luck."

Link nodded. Ereb stood and belted on his sword. "I will go with you." He said. "There is too much at stake to let you mess up by going alone."

Zelda frowned. "We need you here, Ereb. There are too many leaders missing to let you go as well as Link."

But Ereb would not be moved. "I go with Link."

The plans were laid, and the next morning, Big Brother, Link, Ereb, and four other Gorons including Bor-Felig left the camp for Death Mountain…


	48. Chapter 47 - Fire

**Chapter 47: Fire**

Ganondorf was sitting in the throne. The three soldiers he had selected for possible leadership stood before him. He studied them carefully.

The first was a Darknut named Kebrol. He was a burly Darknut, broader and stronger than Stalg had been, but shorter. He had proven his courage several times in past battles.

The second was a Bokoblin named Sleggnin. He was a thin, wiry creature with a brilliant mind and keen ears.

The third was a Moblin called Taggim. He was an averagely built Moblin, but was fierce in battle.

Ganondorf had chosen these three because of their consistent loyalty to him over the years. All had bled for him, and all had killed for him. This was the final test, demanded by ritual in his forces.

The three would face each other in mortal combat. The winner became leader.

Ganondorf stood, and nodded to each one of them. He handed Kebrol a sword, Sleggnin a club, and Taggim a spear.

"Fight!" he bellowed.

In an instant, Taggim whirled his spear over his head and into Kebrol's gut, driving the blade further in. Kebrol roared in pain, and beheaded Taggim with a powerful blow to the neck. Sleggnin leaped onto Kebrol's back, and began to choke the Darknut with the club. Kebrol clawed at his neck, but to no avail. He collapsed, and Sleggnin leaped down and bowed to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf smiled. The struggle had only lasted a few seconds, and the Bokoblin had acted wisely, allowing the toughest of the three, Kebrol the Darknut, to take the brunt of the attacks, and then to finish off the Moblin before the Bokoblin made his move.

He was a born fighter, and a ruthless killer, and now had proven himself worthy of generalship.

"Congratulations, General Sleggnin. My first order is for you to lead an attack on the Kokiri Forest. Burn them out. Torch the trees. I don't care what you do, just kill them all."

Sleggnin smiled. His voice was thin and sibilant. "Yes, Master Dragonmire."

Big Brother spotted the mountain first. "There it lies, brothers! We will rest here!"

The other members of the party practically dropped with exhaustion, save Link, because of the sword. They had traveled swiftly over the past two days, far faster than the Gorons and Miniblin had on the first journey. At this rate of travel, they would reach Death Mountain tomorrow afternoon, making their journey's length only three days instead of five.

After recovering, Link and Ereb ate with the Gorons and joked with Gar-Mallig, brother of Gar-Mako. They had become rather fond of the overly serious Goron, who they had recently learned would become the Big Brother when the current Big Brother died.

After eating, they all dropped off to sleep one by one.

The next day, late in the afternoon, they arrived at Death Mountain.

Big Brother led them through the maze of halls. Link felt a jolt of recognition as he realized that they were following the same path as he had followed when he found the sword.

But they passed the turn that Link had taken, and continued. Several minutes later, they came to a large door, closed and locked.

Big Brother pulled a key from a pouch, and unlocked the door. It took all four Gorons to open the door, but it did so, with a loud rumbling. The path beyond was in total darkness.

Bor-Felig grabbed a torch from the wall outside, and handed it to Big Brother, who lit it.

With a collective breath, the group stepped into the darkness.

Linder was again on watch.

She had seen the group leave three days before, and had wondered what was happening. But before she had a chance to ask questions, a great meeting had been called. The Princess had spoken, and explained what was happening. Linder recalled the words.

 _Link, Ereb, Big Brother, and three other Gorons have left for Death Mountain. The Hero has a plan, and it requires our resilience. Ganondorf may attempt an attack. If he does, we will be ready._

 _If the Hero succeeds in his mission, we might defeat Ganondorf._

 _Be on your guard. These are the most dangerous times yet. I warn you again. Be on your guard…_

Linder jumped. She saw light. It was unmistakable in the darkness. Fire.

She sped through the trees, back to the camp. "Fire! Foes! Fire! Foes!" she cried.

The world of the six companions was one of definite boundaries. They moved within an aura of orange light, generated by the torch. They saw nothing outside of the aura. All was darkness in the fire caverns.

Then there came a gradual change. They saw, in the distance, another light. A light that reminded Link of the First Trial, of the Sacred Chamber. A light that grew brighter and brighter the closer they got, until they no longer needed the torch to see.

Their world expanded to tremendous size as they passed through an archway and entered the main chamber.

"Welcome," said Big Brother quietly, "To the fire caverns…"

The chamber they had entered reminded Link of the spider webbing ledges that had made up the floor of the sword chamber, but here the lava was much higher. The ledges were raised only seven or eight yards above the bubbling fire liquid.

But this was not the only danger. Link could see, crawling around here and there on the ledges of the vast cavern, fire worms, dondogos as the Gorons called them. But these looked much stronger then the one he had killed in the First Trial. These were in their own territory, and far more fierce.

Big Brother nodded to Link and Ereb. "I would recommend that you keep your swords drawn. This is a very dangerous place."

Link and Ereb complied, and then the group began to carefully make its way across the ledges. The footing was treacherous. In many places the rock was crumbling, and it was difficult to find a path across the maze of rock that would avoid dondogos.

They walked single file, with Big Brother at the head, followed by Gar-Mallig and Ereb. Behind Ereb walked Bor-Felig and the other Goron, Fal-Doblid. Link walked at the rear.

To the group's relief, most of the dondogos were asleep. It seemed that they had come during a daily slumber the monsters took. Some of them would snort in their sleep, releasing curling smoke from their nostrils as the group passed. This unnerved the Gorons especially when it happened, but especially Bor-Felig.

They managed to pass through the large cavern without mishap, and entered another tunnel. This tunnel was not as dark as the first they had entered, and was lit by the glowing lava behind and before it, but was still hard to see in. No dondogos inhabited this tunnel, much to the group's relief, but the rock was much more unsteady.

They soon passed through, and entered the next cavern. It resembled the first chamber, but there were no dondogos here.

And so they passed through the fire caverns, carefully navigating the ledges of each chamber and slowly making their way.

There was only one mishap. While passing through one of the chambers, Ereb slipped. Big Brother snapped out his arm and caught him before he fell, but Ereb was cut on the arm. The group hurried along for a long way afterward.

"Dondogos are attracted to the scent of blood." Big Brother explained. "We are in greater danger than ever."

But they saw no sign of dondogos the rest of the trip, and it was in high spirits that they then entered the final chamber. A large door stood at one end, with Hylian runes carved into its surface. It read: _The door of the mountain; Enter, friend of Hyrule._

The floor of the chamber was solid. It stretched all the way around the room.

Big Brother smiled. "We made it, brothers."

The group walked across the room to the door. At that moment, a deep growl sounded behind them.

Link whirled around. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

Dozens of dondogos were moving slowly toward them, teeth bared and eyes gleaming…

Pandemonium reigned in the Rebel camp.

The forest was ablaze, and the fires were rapidly nearing. A desperate effort was being made to collect everything possible and escape the danger.

Outside the forest, the line of fire had passed, leaving the outer fringe of trees blackened and smoldering. Sleggnin smiled.

"Forward!" he barked, and the army advanced into the burning forest…


	49. Chapter 48 - Betrayal and Revenge

**Chapter 48: Betrayal and Revenge**

Ereb leaped to Link's side. The dondogos hissed viciously. Big Brother cried out and fell to the ground. Gar-Mallig shouted something, and tackled Bor-Felig. The dondogos attacked.

Link swung his sword in a wide arc, slicing through one dondogo's face. Blood flew. The dondogo collapsed to the floor, and immediately, three others began to devour its corpse. Using their momentary distraction to his advantage, Link stabbed one.

The other dondogos backed off a bit, and then rushed forward with a roar. Link was overwhelmed, and several passed him. Ereb was cornered by another four.

"Brother! To me!" shouted Gar-Mallig, charging forward. Using the massive strength of his momentum, he knocked two of the dondogos aside. He grabbed another by the tail, and whirled it into yet another as easily as if it had been a blanket.

Link ran to help Ereb, sword swinging in wide arcs. Ereb, heartened by Link's arrival, attacked with renewed strength. Dondogos fell.

Suddenly, there was a growl like thunder, echoing through the cavern. The dondogos squealed in fright, and fled.

Link and Ereb stood side by side. They had no idea what to expect. Gar-Mallig spoke. "Bor-Felig is dead. He murdered Big Brother."

Link and Ereb had not seen what happened. The shock of the Goron's words left them dumbfounded.

But there was no time to mourn. A shadow fell upon the chamber. Link looked up. He screamed…

Ganondorf's army returned to the Castle. It was late in the night, and Sleggnin was terrified by the prospect of reporting to Ganondorf.

The Rebels had, seemingly, vanished into thin air.

The army had reached the camp, prepared for a slaughter, and though the trees all about it were torched, and there was much evidence of the camp, the Rebels themselves were nowhere to be found.

But when the Bokoblin General arrived in the throne room to make his report, the King had also vanished.

Suddenly, there was a shout. "Attack! To the walls! To the walls!"

Sleggnin sprinted outside and climbed the wall. He was shocked to see an army already at the foot of the wall, raising ladders…

A massive beast was falling from somewhere far above.

The survivors scattered, and it landed on its feet heavily with a deafening roar. Link was stunned by its size. It looked like a titanic dondogo.

"Run!" cried Ereb, and sped to the door. Link followed, with Gar-Mallig and Fal-Doblid close behind. The beast turned towards them and swiped out with its huge claws, killing Fal-Doblid in mid run.

Gar-Mallig put on a burst of speed, and slammed into the door with all his strength. It gave slightly. Link and Ereb frantically pushed with him, but to no avail. The door would not open.

The beast roared again, and lashed out with its long tail. "Duck!" shouted Link, and they dropped to the floor as the powerful tail flew at their heads.

It slammed into the door, which was pushed open.

The three companions scrambled to their feet and through the doorway before the monster could strike again. They ran through a tunnel until they could run no more.

They heard another deafening roar, and then all was silent.

Ganondorf was below the Castle in the secret room, planning his next move.

He loved this room. It was far beneath the Castle, and no outside sound could penetrate its silence, making it perfect for thinking.

He had found more than the Forbidden Power when he had lit the final lantern in the cave…

The three companions wept in the dark acceptance of the tunnel.

They had lost Big Brother, a great leader, warrior, and friend. Gar-Mallig told Link and Ereb what had happened.

"Bor-Felig broke Big Brother's neck. He must have seen an opportunity to attack in the confusion, and took it. Big Brother died almost immediately. I saw what happened, and leaped at the traitor. I broke Bor-Felig's neck, as he had broken Big Brother's. Now both are dead."

He collapsed into large Goron tears. Ereb moved closer to the weeping Goron, tears in his own eyes, and put a hand on the hard shoulder.

Link recovered first, to his own surprise. Big Brother's death was tragic and painful, but he saw the end in sight. The end of the killing, the end of the tragedies, the end of the war.

And in that he was able to push away his grief, at least for now. He drew his sword, and helped Ereb and Gar-Mallig to their feet. "We need to keep moving. We are almost there."

He turned to Gar-Mallig. "You are the heir to the leadership of Gorons. You will lead us, Big Brother."

And upon hearing his new name, the new Big Brother's eyes flashed. In the face of this dark new reality, he too was able to push past his grief. There was work to do. He nodded at Link, and looked at Ereb. Ereb was already drying his tears, and drawing his sword.

"Let's go." He said.

Ganondorf suddenly felt a strange foreboding. He stood, and disappeared from the secret room.

The Rebels poured over the walls, slaughtering Ganondorf's troops as they came. The wall was taken in minutes, and then the army advanced into the market place. Three Zoras ran to the gate and opened it, admitting the rest of the Rebel army before joining them in the charge through the Castle.

Sleggnin's body lay across the wall in a pool of blood. Ganondorf's army was again leaderless.

"To me! To me!" bellowed a Moblin. The rest of the army rushed to him, and under his leadership, rushed at the Rebels. The two forces met in the marketplace with a colossal crash.

Chaos reigned. Swords clashed. Spears stabbed. Armor rang. Hurt soldiers cried out. Dead fell. Heads toppled to the ground. Bodies dropped. Eyes blazed. Voices shouted.

The battle for Hyrule had begun…

Zelda, Elnor and Old Majora entered the Castle through the gate. The decision had been made swiftly, and the attack was a surprise enough to make a huge impact. The Rebel army, weakened as it was from the previous battle and outnumbered, was overpowering the stronger, larger army of Ganondorf.

Zelda found herself hoping that Link would arrive soon…

Ganondorf appeared in the throne room. He was shocked to hear a din of battle outside. Stepping towards the door, he was about to vanish, when he heard something.

He turned slowly around. There was a loud click. A wall nearby slowly rumbled open, revealing a dark passage beyond. Shocked, he could only stare dumbly into the revealed passage.

 _The Sacred Chamber?_

And then, out of the darkness stepped a being.

It was a being Ganondorf had seen many times before. It was a being he had ruined, a being he had destroyed.

It was a being with a shining sword, blazing eyes, tight jaw, clad in green, and accompanied by two followers.

And the green clad being spoke. It was the same voice Ganondorf knew, yet there was, somehow, a change. This voice was no longer the voice of a squire. No longer the voice of a Knight. No longer the voice of a boy, or of a man, or even of a human.

It was a voice channeled through the ages, a voice his father had heard so long before.

It was the voice of the Hero.

And it said, "Draw your swords, Ganondorf, you'll need them."

And then the being, the Knight, the Boy, the Hero, wielding a blade of great Power, a blade that had slain Ganondorf's father, a blade that had defeated the Darkness of the distant past, stepped forward.

Ganondorf drew his swords. The fire of his eyes did not blaze; it flickered weakly in the presence of the raging inferno of the Hero's eyes.

The Traitor took a step forward as well.

The Hero saluted him with his sword. Ganondorf, will slowly strengthening again, returned the gesture. The two forces, Hero and Dark Power, assumed combat stances. Then there was total stillness.

And it seemed to the eyes of Ereb that the light of the throne room was changing around the two. Darkness surrounded Ganondorf, enveloped him, penetrated him, strengthened him.

And Link was surrounded by a light. Was enveloped, penetrated by, and strengthened by a light.

Then Ereb and Big Brother saw, as if in a vision, two other great beings in the room.

The Ghost King, clad in shining armor, gripping a brilliant white sword, stood above Link. And above Ganondorf was a dark beast, a powerful being of shadow, with a notched, blackened blade.

And then, the vision passed, and Hero and Dark Power clashed.


	50. Chapter 49 - Defeat

**Part 8: Encounters in the Night**

 **Chapter 49: Defeat**

One swung high, the other blocked. The metal rang as the blades separated, only to be jarred again by another heavy blow. Another swing, this one from left to right. The shining sword snapped to the side, deflecting the attack swiftly, before swiping up towards Ganondorf's chest. Ganondorf snapped his other blade up with inhuman speed, blocking the would-be killing blow.

While blocking, the Gueredo brought his other sword around at Link, aiming for the Hero's head. Link dropped into a crouch. The blade sliced off the tips of some of his hair. Link pulled his sword inwards, and then lunged at Ganondorf with astonishing strength. Ganondorf leaped back, dodging the attack by centimeters.

Then Gar-Mallig, the new Big Brother, leaped into the fray. He had also lost something to this monster; his father, Tab-Nedoc, had been killed in the battle. With all of his strength, he swung a massive fist at the traitor. But in the moment of impact, Big Brother was shocked to feel nothing meet his fist but air.

And then he felt a searing pain, followed by agony from his wrist. His hand had been chopped off. He slumped to the floor, cradling his stump arm.

Ganondorf's eyes gleamed. "Now both kings are crippled." He growled.

Link suddenly felt a surge of anger, and gave himself to the fight. He weaved a web of steel before Ganondorf, a web so swift and so precise that not even the traitor's superhuman speed could penetrate the defense.

And then Link suddenly jabbed at Ganondorf thrice, forcing the Gueredo into defense, before unleashing a move he had thought of in their journey through the passage.

He brought his blade up into the air, as if he was going to strike downward. Ganondorf used the sudden opening to stab forward, but Link was already back pedaling, and the Hero brought the hard pommel of his sword down upon the traitor's sword. Whether by some hidden imperfection in the metal of Ganondorf's sword, or perhaps just fate, the blow snapped the sword blade in two.

Half of the blade fell down, down to the floor, and clattered on the cold stone. Ganondorf could only stare at his remaining stump of a sword. This was the second time Link had broken his blade.

"Now you, too, are crippled." Link growled, and with a great shout, gripped his own sword in both hands, and swung with merciless strength. Ganondorf was forced to use his remaining sword to block, and tossed the broken one away. It was useless now.

The battle in the market place had moved closer to the Keep. The Rebel army advanced methodically, killing mercilessly and mopping up survivors with vicious stabs. Ganondorf's army was always forced back, and they no longer even tried to charge. Their numbers had been dramatically lessened, and now it was they who were outnumbered.

Elnor had brought with him his hunting bow. His shocking reappearance had not yet been explained. Not to anyone. Only Zelda had a faint idea of what had happened.

But for now, Elnor's mind was not on the dark memory. His mind was in the forest he lived in. The buildings surrounding him were the trees. He climbed one, and got into a good firing position. The enemies were dirt boars, nothing more. He selected one from the crowd, took aim, and fired.

The chosen prey, a large Moblin, died with the same squeal as a dirt boar.

Elnor smiled. He had not fought for twenty years.

And two decades had done nothing to lessen his skill…

Finally, Ganondorf's soldiers, as one, saw that they had a choice. Run, or die here.

All but two Bokoblins, who were lopped apart in the next moment, chose the former. They ran. They ran with all possible speed to the keep, and with tremendous force, shoved the gate open. They were in the throne room. Then they suddenly stopped in their tracks. They could not believe their eyes.

Ganondorf was on his knees. A boy clad in green stood with his sword point pressing into their leader's chest. Both of Ganondorf's swords lay on the ground, one broken in half.

But upon seeing them, Ganondorf seemed to be encouraged, renewed. His lips moved silently, and the boy opened his mouth to speak, but they saw no more.

Elnor's jaw dropped. Ganondorf, along with his entire army, had vanished. They had been there one moment, with the Rebels pursuing close behind, and then had been nowhere.

He saw Link stand, and sheathe his sword. Zelda pushed through the crowd of confused Rebel soldiers to his side.

"What happened, Link? Where is Ganondorf?" She asked.

Link shook his head. "He used the same spell he has used many times. He proved that he is a coward." He said.

"But where is he?"

Link looked at her, and the look was strange to her. It was not the Link she knew. Someone else peered out from those blue eyes, someone older and wiser, yet still, deep inside them, was the young, smiling squire she was best friends with.

"I know where he is." Link finally answered.


	51. Chapter 50 - Dreams Made Real

**Chapter 50: Dreams Made Real**

Link lay in a bed. His mind was tortured by the dream that had returned to him.

 _Link was walking through a vast field. He recognized it, and yet it seemed strange to him. Hills and trees dotted the landscape. Birds fluttered through the sky. Rabbits sped over the ground in great leaps._

 _He felt himself turning, and soon he faced the opposite direction. He saw mountains, great beasts of rock and snow that rose like teeth from the ground._

 _And then he was rising, floating, flying through the air, passing over the mountains and into a sea of brown and tan. It rose and fell in large waves, waves that seemed frozen in time. He landed in the sea, and was surprised to feel something solid break his plunge. It gave slightly, but he could walk upon it._

 _The sun was hot here, and the air was thick and warm. He found himself panting, gasping for breath. He tried to change course, but his body seemed intent on moving in a certain direction. He walked for so long that day became night. The air became icy cold, and gusts of wind stole his breath and made his throat sore._

 _Then he was rising again, flying over the sea at a tremendous speed. He saw before him a dark tower that stood alone in the sea, atop a great ledge of rock._

 _Link began to feel afraid, hoping against hope that he would not be forced to go to the tower. But his course did not change, nor did his speed lessen. But this time he did not fly through the window. This time he was set down on the ground before the tower, and saw behind him an army._

 _Then there was a blur. Ganondorf ran him through…_

Link awoke. He shook away the thought of what had happened in the dream's ending, and focused instead on the path he had traveled. He stood, and left the room.

In the three weeks since Ganondorf had vanished with his army, the Rebels had moved into the Castle. Several areas of the Castle were still damaged from the previous battles, and had had to be blocked off. The throne room was returned to its rightful use, and was now the meeting place for the Rebel leaders.

Gar-Mallig's arm was now bandaged and healing well, thanks to Zora help and Goron potions.

But the struggle was not over yet. Word had come to Zelda that Ganondorf was again building his forces. The nightmare would simply repeat itself if he was not stopped. But Zelda had not been conscious during the long ride to his tower until close to the time they arrived, and had no idea of how to reach it.

Until Link walked into the room.

He related the dream to them, minus the ending, and Stagrim smiled.

"What are we waiting for?" he said.

The army marched at dawn the next day.

They left the Castle side by side, file by file, rank by rank, step by step. They moved briskly, with light hearts and gleaming eyes. They thought this would be easy. They had retaken their home, and driven Ganondorf away. Surely they could strike him down, weakened as he was.

And they marched, once again, behind the banner of their Cause.

The Cause that lightened their hearts, that strengthened their limbs, that set their minds. The Cause that smiled upon its followers, whispering _Well done, my children. You have much still to do, but you have already accomplished much. Well done._

 _Well done._

But bringing the Cause to completion would cost the Rebels far more than they could possibly guess. Hyrule would never be the same…

Hyrule field slowly passed by as hundreds of marching feet stamped the grass down. Singing birds winged over them, rabbits sped across their path, insects fluttered nearby.

And then they had come to the edge of the fields, before the mountains, and there they halted for the third night of the journey following the directions of Link's dream.

Ereb walked over to Link. "So which direction do we take tomorrow?" he asked.

Link sat before the fire, and seemed not to hear. Finally he spoke. "Over the mountains."

It took another two days to cross the mountain range. The journey went with little trouble, mostly thanks to the mountain skills of the Gorons. They paced up and down the lines, encouraging and helping the soldiers whenever possible.

The mountains the army was crossing were far from Death Mountain, though in the same mountain range. These mountains were much farther north than the home of the Gorons.

And so it was that on the sixth day of their journey they rounded a bend in a mountain pass, and saw before them a great land of boulders and naked trees. It looked as if a great explosion had stripped the land of all life, leaving behind a cold, hard bone of the earth.

Link froze in his tracks when he saw it. He shook his head. They had come the right way, he was positive of it, but this place had not been in his dream of the journey.

Big Brother put his good hand on Link's shoulder. "What troubles you, Brother?"

"This place was not in my dream." Link murmured. "I have no memory of it."

He left the army and walked ahead for some distance, hoping to see some sign of the brown sea, but the place they were in stretched on for many miles at least. He did not come to its end, and never saw the sea.

The next day, several Zoras were sent ahead. They moved at great speed, and returned at nightfall.

"About midday," they reported, "we came to a ravine. Beyond it, the ground is less rocky, and in the distance we could see a change in the land. It became hilly and dry. The sun grew hotter the farther we traveled, and being water dwellers, we dared not travel any farther."

The news encouraged Link, though at the same time he felt a great void in his heart. The Zoras would not be able to make the journey because of the heat. Not only was this the loss of great warriors, but also the loss of companionship.

The next morning dawned with reluctance that seemed to mirror the feelings in the Rebel camp. The Zoras had gathered for a last goodbye.

King Zora approached Link. "Well, Hero, I must go back to my own home. I have been away long, and much may have happened in that time."

Link nodded, feeling tears in his eyes. He wished the Zoras could stay. They had been great friends.

No one, however, felt the loss more deeply than the Koroks. They had been with the Zoras a very long time, ever since the Zoras arrived in the Kokiri Forest.

But finally there came the moment when the Zoras turned away and made their way back over the mountains. Just before passing out of sight, King Zora turned.

"Bring back his head!" he cried, and then disappeared around a bend.

The remaining army, now reduced to less than three hundreds, gathered their belongings and marched on. Hours passed. The bare landscape about them and the heat of the land weighed on their spirits, lowering morale.

Elnor moved up the line to Link's side. "This is a horrible place." He said with a shudder. "No sign of life. Not even a dirt boar."

Link nodded grimly. "I just hope we are still traveling in the right direction." He mopped his brow. "This heat is unbearable."

Ereb, who also marched nearby, nodded. He was drenched in sweat. "It's miserable here."

They continued on in silence for a time, the only sound being the endless tramp of feet on the ground.

Then, faintly, Link heard a voice chanting.

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _Away from home we've gone, we've gone,_

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _To the place we're gone to get to, get to._

He looked about, searching for the source of the chanting, and was surprised to see that it was Elnor. Then he heard two other voices join in the chant; he recognized them as Sturden and Stagrim.

 _Our shining blades are drawn, are drawn,_

 _To war and strife we've gone, we've gone,_

 _Our shining blades are drawn, are drawn,_

 _In battle they will sing, will sing._

Then the Hylian soldiers joined in. The army marched with a renewed fire, and the stamp of their feet on the ground was now crisp and clean. The chant united them into one being. A fire ignited in their hearts.

 _The dark cold night is gone, is gone,_

 _We march in daylight's arms, her arms,_

 _The dark cold night is gone, is gone,_

 _The moon does us no harm, no harm._

The chant spread through the rest of the army until it became a mighty roar of Hylians, Koroks and Gorons, a torrential downpour of power, a warning threat to Ganondorf:

We are coming.

 _The dark one falls, he dies, he dies,_

 _His body eaten by the flies, the flies,_

 _The dark one falls, he dies, he dies,_

 _Fear and despair turn to joy and light._

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _Away from home we've gone, we've gone,_

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _To the place we're gone to get to, get to._

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _Away from home we've gone, we've gone,_

 _We march ever on, ever on,_

 _To the place we're gone to get to, get to._

 _To the place we're gone to get to, get to…_


	52. Chapter 51 - The Ravine

**Chapter 51: The Ravine**

The army reached the ravine spoken of by the Zoras. Many were panting, drenched in sweat. The heat had grown steadily the father they had traveled, until it became a smothering cloak of burning warmth that threatened to knock them from their feet.

Elnor searched the horizon with his keen eyes. He could see, far in the distance, what looked like the beginning of a desert. He had traveled in this desert before, long ago, but in a different area. The memories he had of the venture were dark.

"There." Said Zelda, pointing to the land beyond the ravine.

Big Brother nodded. "And here we come to the ravine. It looks dangerously wide."

Indeed, it was wide, very wide. Its other side was at least twenty-five feet away from their current position. The ground seemed to fall away suddenly, and dropped down an immeasurable distance before rising again on the other side.

Big Brother called the Gorons to him, and they talked to one another for quite some time. Finally, they broke the meeting, and the Gorons went immediately to work.

They moved to the dead trees that stood all around, and, two to a tree, began to throw their weight against them. It only took a few blows before the trees would bend and then break. Then several Gorons at a time would seize a tree, and carry it to the ravine.

When many trees had been gathered, Big Brother asked for rope. The Hylians began to search for and bring out lengths of rope, which many of them had been ordered to carry. They brought the ropes to Big Brother, and under his guidance, the Gorons lifted the trees, and the Hylians bound them together.

After several hours, a makeshift bridge was formed. The Gorons and Hylians lifted and slowly moved it to the edge of the ravine, and then, gripping the bottom, let the other side fall. It landed with a loud crash on the other side. To the relief of all, it was mostly undamaged.

After several long moments, Big Brother himself stepped onto the bridge tentatively. The wood gave a slight sigh, but nothing more. He then trusted his whole weight to the bridge. It held.

He smiled, and carefully walked across. Upon reaching the other side, he laughed, and shouted, "Cross, everyone, but slowly!"

The army obeyed. Gradually, one by one, they crossed. After half an hour of this, some of the Gorons became impatient. At the rate things were going, it could take all day to cross the ravine.

Three of the Gorons stepped onto the bridge at once. Everyone gasped. Someone cursed the three Gorons under his breath. What were they thinking? If the bridge collapsed, not only would they die, but it would severely delay the army's progress.

However, the Gorons moved quickly and easily over the bridge, and soon were safely across. Several jaws dropped. From then on the progress became much swifter. Several Hylians and Gorons would cross at a time and soon all but a dozen or so remained on the home side.

Two Gorons, the last of the Gorons to cross, went first. All was fine for some distance, but then one tripped. He landed heavily on the bridge. One of the trees that made up the bridge broke. Everyone gasped, and held their breath.

The other Goron, sweating, carefully reached out to the fallen Goron. He reached out, and took the Goron's hand, lifting him slowly to his feet.

They crossed safely the rest of the way, but the accident put many on edge. There were still ten to cross, most of who were leaders.

Zelda and seven Koroks crossed without mishap. Then Stagrim crossed with Ereb. Finally, Link and Elnor began the crossing.

They were halfway across the bridge when it happened. Elnor stepped on one of the trees near the broken one, and it too broke.

"No!" Link cried. Elnor fell to the ground, barely managing to grab the bridge before he fell all the way.

He nearly let go, but Link hit the bridge, and reached for him.

Elnor strained, but could not reach the boy's hand. Link stretched as far as he could.

"Reach!" he shouted.

Elnor tried, and gripped Link's arm. Link pulled, but could not lift Elnor.

"Come on!" he shouted.

Elnor shook his head. "No, Link."

Link's eyes widened. "Come on! Don't let go!"

"I made a promise to myself, back when you were reunited with Ereb. We will both fall if you keep trying to save me."

Tears poured down Link's face. He shook his head. "No. Don't let go."

"Goodbye, Link. Friend."

Elnor let go. He fell into the ravine. Shadows swallowed him from sight.

Link was in shock for a long while. Then he heard a dim echo of a sound. A dull thud.

"NO!" he cried, and wept.

Big Brother carefully crossed the bridge to Link's side and helped him up. Link walked heavily at his side, looking out at the world through a fog of tears. He dimly saw Zelda, hands over her mouth, looking wide eyed and shocked. He registered Ereb on the ground, head to his knees, rocking back and forth.

It was devastating. They had lost Elnor not once, but twice. And this time, he would never return.

He did not know she was near until she spoke.

"He told me some of what happened the first time he disappeared." She said.

He glanced over, and saw that she was sitting next to him on the log. He had chosen to sit on it because of its distance from the camp. He had wanted to be alone. He blinked away a new surge of tears, and then returned his gaze to the tree nearby. The tree would not be going anywhere; it was dependable and solid.

Unlike everything else.

She must have taken his long silence as prodding, because she spoke again.

"He told me that he awoke in the fields alone. He recovered somewhat smoothly."

He shook his head slightly, and wondered just how smoothly it had actually happened.

"When he was able, he tried to find us, but there was no sign of us. He had to do something, so he started walking. On the third day after waking, he found General Haelberg. He wouldn't speak about him, but he didn't have to. I saw Haelberg myself."

He glanced at her again, briefly wondering when she had seen the general, but then something clicked in his mind, and he turned away again.

He could guess more than he could ask, and what he guessed had happened to Haelberg was too horrible to think about. After being stabbed on the wall, Haelberg might have survived if treated quickly, but being a water dweller, and after lying in the sun for three days…

He shuddered. She was talking again.

"Eventually he found us again. We treated him as quickly as possible, but there was little time for it. He reappeared just before an alert that the forest was set on fire reached us."

He sighed. He had learned of the fire. Ganondorf had much to answer for.

Both were silent for some time. He looked at the moon, and felt a small chill run down his back. He remembered Ereb's stories of another moon, and tonight he could see them vividly.

She sighed. "I wish none of this had happened. I wish my father had never believed Ganondorf. I wish things were the same as they were on the night of the Knighting Ceremony."

He nodded. He had wished the same thing many times.

"He will pay dearly, Zelda." He said, voice hoarse from the cold night air. "Soon. And then, when he is gone, we will return. We will rebuild. Renew. Improve. Wash away the stench of Ganondorf and his followers forever."

There was another long silence. She must have, again, taken this as a prodding to speak.

"…Link…"

He looked at her again, and saw tears on her face. He frowned, but before he could say anything, she was already speaking.

"I think something is wrong with Ereb. I'm worried about him."

His frown deepened.

"Why? What's going on?"

"He's been having nightmares. He woke me up last night; I could hear him four tents away. He was talking in his sleep, talking about the mask. And I saw a light."

Link stood abruptly, horror on his face. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I didn't… I didn't know what was happening. I thought I might have dreamed it, but I just heard him again."

Link shook his head. He had heard nothing. He stared towards the tents. All was dark; only the watchmen were awake now. He strained his eyes.

"Oh, no." he whispered, and tore off.

He whipped open Ereb's tent, and saw his friend writhing in his bed, moaning "No. Not again, you can't have it. Not the mask."

Link was startled by a sudden dim light. He searched frantically for its source.

The light was coming from Ereb's pouch…

He opened it, and pulled out the remaining half of the cursed mask. Its one eye was glowing.

Ereb awoke suddenly, bleary eyed.

He saw Link. "NO! I TOLD YOU!" he screamed.

Shocked, Link threw down the pouch, still gripping the mask, and ran from the tent. He heard Ereb following him.

"STOP! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" shouted Ereb.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" he shouted again. "YOU CAN'T-"

He was cut off suddenly. Link glanced back, and saw Zelda pinning Ereb down. She had all of her weight on him, but Ereb was already beginning to break free.

"GO, LINK!" she cried. Link turned again and sprinted for the ravine. It was drawing closer… closer…

He heard a chorus of new voices behind him. "Hold him down!" "He's gone mad!"

Link reached the edge of the ravine, quicker than he thought he would. He slipped, and nearly fell over the edge, but managed to fall backwards. It took him several long moments for him to recover from the shock.

The mask was shining gradually brighter. Something was happening. Link looked about him desperately. He heard something, something from far below him. He looked down into the ravine.

He gasped.

There was a light coming from its bottom, from the dark depths. Strange shapes formed and deformed.

And he saw something that petrified him. Something that he never would have thought possible.

The other half of the mask was floating up towards him.

"Give it to me, Link!" he heard something say. "Give it to me!"

Link was torn between his will and another will. Everything in him fought to keep a hold on the half of the mask he had, but the other will fought for him to give it up to the darkness.

And slowly he began to yield. His arm began to stretch out, his grip began to loosen.

And then the mask was suddenly snatched from his hand. Broken free from the spell, he turned and saw a dazzling light. He finally realized that it was the flame of a torch. A torch in Zelda's hand.

She threw the mask half to the ground, and grabbed Link's hat from him. Throwing it upon the mask, she lit it.

A horrific sound tore the air around them. It rose from a fell roar to a piercing scream, and then was suddenly gone.

Link stood, and drew his sword. Poking at the fire, he moved his hat.

The mask underneath was completely consumed. All that remained was a charred outline.

He turned, and gazed down into the ravine. All was darkness. He took the torch from Zelda, and feeling a horrible guilt about Elnor's body, dropped it.

It fell a long way until it struck the bottom. It lit a small portion of the dark.

Link got down on his stomach, and wriggled to the edge. If he strained his eyes, he thought he could make out Elnor. It was impossible to know for sure, but to him, it looked as if there was a smile on his friend's face.


	53. Chapter 52 - Dawn Banishes Nightmares

**Chapter 52: Dawn Banishes Nightmares**

Ereb had no memory of the night before when he awoke the next day, but seemed to be different than he had been, even since his return from the Clock Town. He talked more, seemed more rested.

In contrast, Link was miserable.

Perhaps it was because of the physical struggle of the past several weeks, or maybe the emotional turmoil caused by Elnor's death and the mask's return, but Link's morale was very low as the army continued its journey. The heat increased more and more as they progressed into the desert, and even the wind brought no comfort. Instead of cooling them, it felt like rough wood scraping against their bodies.

The water supply was decreasing at an alarming rate. Soon there would not be enough for the return journey.

And still they marched on.

On the second day after the mask was utterly destroyed, some of the Hylians began to see mirages in the distance. Occasionally, one of them would cry out something nonsensical and start running to a certain spot, before stopping in their tracks and mournfully returning to the ranks upon realizing that what they had seen was a figment of their imagination.

The Gorons were unaffected by the deceptive land, but had trouble of their own with the strange substance they walked upon. Their weight occasionally would break a portion of one of the paralyzed waves, and would start a landslide.

After one such mishap, Link turned to Zelda and said, "What is this place? The ground is hard to walk on."

She gave him a quick glance. "Elnor didn't tell you? It is the Gueredo Desert."

 _Gueredo Desert?_ Link thought. The name seemed familiar. And then he remembered. _Jade. He spoke of this place when he told me about Ganondorf._

And then it all made sense. He mentally slapped himself for not realizing it before. He had read of the desert before, he had read of the sand, that strange dirt-like substance that sank as you walked upon it.

He had never thought he would be walking in it.

Another long day passed. The army was moving slowly, too slowly. It would never reach Ganondorf's fortress in time. There was just too far yet to travel, and not enough supplies.

A council was held in the main tent.

Its purpose: to discuss returning later with renewed supplies.

Its result: Nothing that anyone had ever imagined.

Link was angry at the council members, even Zelda. They did not seem to understand that he _had_ to reach Ganondorf's fortress, that he _had_ to reach it soon. That time was running lower and lower.

His proposal had been simple enough. The Hylians would return to Hyrule under the leadership of Zelda and Stagrim by way of the bridge over the ravine with the majority of the supplies. Link would continue on with the Gorons, who needed water much less, and were strong enough to make it for many days further travel before turning back.

But the idea was struck down before he could explain the rest, and he had not gotten a word in since. Stagrim and Sturden were arguing about supply levels, Big Brother and Zelda were arguing about how long it would take to reach the fortress, and no one was arguing with Ereb, who had fallen asleep.

Finally, it had been enough. Link stood suddenly, and bellowed "Stop it! Shut up, all of you!"

Silence was absolute in moments. All eyes were on him. "Ganondorf must have huge stores of supplies in his fortress. If we can get there and beat him, the Gorons and I will have plenty for the return journey and to spare."

The council pondered this. No one, it seemed, had thought of this fact.

Link pressed on. "No matter what is decided here, my own choice has been made. I leave for Ganondorf's tower tomorrow."

He left the tent and walked under the starlight for some time.

After he had walked a ways, he turned back. The fires of the camp were still in view.

He turned again, and felt his heart jump out of his chest. He dropped to the ground, and fumblingly pulled his sword.

The eyes, the white eyes from the Sacred Chamber, were again before him, and they were not alone…


	54. Chapter 53 - The Hero's Lineage

**Chapter 53: The Hero's Lineage**

There were several pairs of the eyes before him; none of them blinked. They were wickedly bright in the darkness.

"Hello, Hero. We have waited long for this. The end of the Hero's Lineage, and hence the last threat to our dominion."

Link glared at them. He had heard of Ereb's encounter with one of these beasts in the moon, and knew who their master was from Jade, or at least he guessed he knew. He had thought little of it since.

"You are the servants of the Oracle of Doom, aren't you?" he said.

For the first time, one pair of the eyes blinked. "So you know of our master, do you, Hero?" their owner hissed. "You should fear the One you name without seeing His majesty."

Link's own eyes narrowed. "What do you want with me?" he snarled. "You did nothing to help my friends in the Sacred Chamber, when Ganondorf had them attacked. You did nothing to help Ereb, save for arming him before pitting him against the mask. Why should I listen to you?"

The eyes blinked again. "You do not realize, Hero, that we did not arm your friend. We told him to look in a direction, and look he did. The sword was there for him to find, not for us to give him. So you can remove that one good deed from the list, and hate us thoroughly."

Now it was Link's turn to blink. This was not what he had-

"…expected?" said the eyes. "No, this was not what you expected at all, Hero, I can sense it in you."

"Again, I ask," growled Link, "what do you want with me?"

A light slowly beamed into existence before him, and the eyes moved into it. Link was surprised by the creature before him. Ereb's description of the creature in the moon was nothing like this.

The creature was tall, very tall, but it stooped and duck walked when it moved, giving it the appearance, in the darkness judging by the level of its eyes, of being very short. It was long limbed and clad in silver plates of armor, and on its back was strapped a wide sword. It reminded Link of a Bokoblin more than anything else.

"We were ordered to offer our service to you, to join you, Hero." It hissed.

Link gasped. He had no idea of what to say. Here he had been expecting for these beasts to attack him, to carry him off to Ganondorf or worse, and they were offering him their service.

"Why?" he finally answered, eyes narrowed. "Why do you offer me your help? Why does the Oracle, if that really is your master, want me to succeed? What does he gain?"

The creature laughed. It was a strange, hypnotic laugh. "His devices are his own, and none are worthy to learn them. What is your answer?"

Link found himself deeply considering the offer. If these creatures were telling the truth, then he could gain powerful allies by accepting. However, if they were lying…

He looked at the creature again, and realized that it was speaking. "We do not lie, Hero. We are unable. We were, in truth, ordered to offer you our service."

Link shook his head. His mind was in a whirl, but two thoughts were discernable. _Hero's Lineage,_ and _The Oracle is evil._ He cautiously put forth his next question.

"What is he Hero's Lineage?" he asked.

The eyes shone brighter. "You know not what you ask."

"Then let me know."

The creature's brow furrowed slightly as if in thought, and then it nodded.

"Blind followers are dead followers…" Link heard it mutter, and then it spoke out loud again. "Very well, Hero. I will show you your self." It rose one arm, and slowly stood to its impressive full height.

To Link's surprise, a great wind flattened him to the ground. The sand began to shift around him, and then began to spiral up and around him, enveloping him in a great whirlwind. Soon the sand was moving so quickly that it no longer appeared to be sand, but instead, like shimmering ice curling itself around him. The whirling torrent spun faster and faster, until Link's mind could no longer process that it was spinning, and he saw it as a solid wall about him.

He slowly stood, senses oddly dull, and moved toward the wall. He reached out his hand on a sudden impulse he could not understand, and touched it.

His hand began to shine brilliant white, and a light shot out of the wall, blinding him and rendering him unconscious.

 _He saw a tower. It was not Ganondorf's dark tower. This tower was far taller. Far larger. Far more ancient. It rose into the unmeasured heights of the clouds, a finger of the earth that pricked the sky. It seemed not to be wrought of many stones, but of one, carved and shaped until it was the shape of the tower. The tower was eight sided._

 _He saw the tower's gate open wide, and saw a long figure step out. The figure seemed oddly familiar; like an acquaintance half remembered. The figure stepped into the sunlight, and Link found himself standing nearby as the figure walked on. He saw that the figure was a man of great stature, powerful and tall._

 _The man wore a sword on his back, a sword that Link knew well. The sword he wore at his side even now._

 _And then there was another flash of light, and Link was in a great hall. Somehow, he knew he was within the tower. He also, somehow, knew that this was many years earlier._

 _He saw a boy running through the hall, dodging the many people who were within, narrowly avoiding a passing procession of officials. The boy, too, seemed somehow familiar. He vanished down a corridor, and Link followed. He caught glimpses of the boy just before the boy would disappear around the next corner._

 _Then, he suddenly came up behind the boy. The boy began to look over his shoulder, but before Link saw his face, the light flashed once again, and he was outside again. He saw the tower surrounded by a great host of foes. Catapults launched huge boulders into the walls, smashing and demolishing portions of the tower with every blow._

 _There was a horrible roar in the sky. Link looked up, and saw a massive black dragon fly overhead, a dark mass of shadow and flame. It landed on the tower's peak with another great roar, and a torrent of flame poured from its maw._

 _Link was surprised to feel tears in his eyes. He knew, he somehow_ knew, _that the tower was doomed, and that its fall would be a great loss for Hyrule._

 _And then he felt a dark, cold presence behind him. He turned, and his jaw dropped in disbelief._

 _There stood Ganondorf._

 _Or rather, it looked like Ganondorf. The same prominent nose, the same eyes… But no, he realized, this was not Ganondorf. And then he remembered Jade._

 _And he realized that the one before him was not Ganondorf, but Ganondorf's father. His father who had obtained the Forbidden Power in the first place. Who had summoned Kratin, the Black Dragon._

 _And then he saw the father's expression change from one of triumph to one of terror. His eye were locked on something beyond Link._

 _Link turned again, to see what it was that Ganondorf's father so feared._

 _He gasped._

 _The man he had seen leaving the tower, the man who carried the sword, was standing before him…_

Link awoke. The creature stood before him.

"The man you saw. He carried that sword." It said, pointing at the sword.

Link nodded.

"That was your forefather." Said the creature.

Slowly Link nodded again. He was beginning to understand, all but one detail.

"You are descended from a line of great men, Hero. From the Hero's Lineage."

There was silence for several long minutes. Link pondered what he was being told. But the words of the creature still did not answer one question.

"What do you mean when you say: _We have waited long for this. The end of the Hero's Lineage, and hence the last threat to our dominion._ I have heard it said by your kind before, as has my friend."

The eyes widened, and the creature drew its blade. "It means that you are about to die."

Link's mind was cast into turmoil. This same creature had just offered him its service, had just shown him his lineage. Why was it suddenly attacking him now?

He pulled his sword, and felt a new strength surge through him. He parried the first blow, dodged the second, and then slashed at the creature. His sword's tip grazed its stomach.

He raised the sword, preparing to deal the killing blow. The other pairs of eyes were beginning to step into the light, to pull their own swords. He shut his eyes.

He heard a familiar voice.

 _Open your eyes, Link._

He felt strangely compelled to obey. His eyes opened bit by bit, squinting against the light.

But this was a different light.


	55. Chapter 54 - Revelations

**Chapter 54: Revelations**

It was a familiar light, just as the voice had been a familiar voice.

And he saw the Ghost King.

"The Oracle has finally made his intentions known, Hero." Said the Ghost.

"What intentions?" asked Link, still surprised at the sudden reunion.

The Ghost sighed. "Do you remember what I told you in the forest just after Ereb disappeared?"

Link nodded slowly.

"I told you that the Oracle seems to want you to succeed in your quest. He seems to want you to have victory."

Again, Link nodded.

"I have finally realized why. The answer has been told to you twice now. The Hero's Lineage. There lies the answer." Said the Ghost King.

Link, confused, looked into the Ghost's eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The King sighed. "There is a prophesy. A prophesy that you have fulfilled, almost. But the prophecy was forgotten for many years, until recently. And even then, knowledge of the prophecy was incomplete. We did not have the full truth until now."

Link frowned. This was not sounding good.

The Ghost continued. "The prophesy may now be finally recited in full…"

 _Darkness shall rise from under Hyrule's wing._

 _Darkness shall overcome her._

 _Darkness shall defeat her._

 _Victory shall the darkness sing._

 _But there is one who shall stand._

 _One who shall fight back._

 _One who shall rise above his kin_

 _To strike down the darkness._

 _One who shall be the Hero._

 _The Hero's Lineage will end._

 _For to defeat the darkness,_

 _The Hero must sacrifice everything._

 _Peace shall return._

 _Life shall bloom anew._

 _The sun shall shine brighter._

 _Dawn again will be true._

"The Oracle has waited long for Ganondorf to rise, because of you. And that is why he gave Ganondorf the Forbidden Power. It has always been about you. He wants you to succeed, because to succeed, you must die. Or so says the prophesy."

Link felt as though he had fallen into the ravine. He shook his head. This was beyond words.

His mind began to fight it, to point out that the prophesy did _not_ say that he must die.

And then he realized that he must. The prophesy said that the Hero's Lineage would end. He was the last of that line, and for it to end, he would have to die.

Everything fell into place.

Nothing he had done truly mattered. Nothing he would do truly mattered, either. He would die in combat against Ganondorf. He had seen it happen in his dreams several times.

And then, with him gone, the Oracle would have no more opposition to him strong enough to resist his inevitable reign over Hyrule.

Evil would win the day.

But then, he looked up at the Ghost. And as if the Ghost King knew what he had been thinking, he said, "The last portion of the prophesy goes against what the Oracle would do."

Link remembered the words vividly.

 _Peace shall return._

 _Life shall bloom anew._

 _The sun shall shine brighter._

 _Dawn again will be true._

This was nothing like what he would have thought. There was more to it. Something was offline somewhere.

But he could not find it. He could not see it.

"Hope remains." He heard the Ghost say. "Hope remains. You will overthrow the darkness. You will defeat Ganondorf."

And then he saw himself, again, at the top of a tall tower. He turned from the past and looked the opposite direction, into the future. And he saw what could happen.

It was as if his imagination and his hope had joined forces and trampled his fear. He saw visions of Hyrule without Ganondorf, without the darkness that had so scarred it.

 _He saw Hyrule Castle rebuilt, standing high over the fields around it, resplendent and shining in the sunlight._

 _He saw the townspeople living their normal lives again, smiling and delighted at their return to their homes._

 _He saw Zora's Domain, and a beaming King Zora cradling a Zora Child. He plopped his crown on the child's head, and laughed. The Zora Prince would be great one day._

 _He saw Death Mountain, and a great procession of Gorons parading about, laughing and dancing._

 _He saw the Kokiri Forest, and Old Majora sitting before dozens of Koroks, amusing them with his masks._

 _And then he saw a great blur, as though he looked many more years into the future. And he saw the Throne Room of Hyrule Castle, and two people he knew very well, though they looked years older._

 _He saw a King and his Queen sitting upon the thrones, and laughing as they rose to dance. A great crowd of people all around applauded. One man stood, and raised his glass, crying, "To King Ereb and Queen Zelda! May their reign be blessed!"_

 _And then he saw a silent pool. The tombstone was weathered, and plants grew upon it. He saw the water, and under it. And he saw a glass, and a body within. And the face was unchanged. Whether by some magic of the pool or the glass coffin, the body of Sir Marcus was untouched by the years._

 _The fire still dwelt in those eyes._

He blinked. The Ghost had disappeared.

He was alone now. The monsters had vanished. The night was still.

And in that moment, he closed his eyes, and stood.

He drew his sword, and opened his eyes.

He would do it. For all of them. For the Koroks, the Zoras, the Gorons, everyone. He would do it.

He would fight Ganondorf, and if he died to save Hyrule, than he would die.

But Ganondorf would go with him.


	56. Chapter 55 - The Blood of Heroes

**Chapter 55: The Blood of Heroes**

The morning was already heating up when the army began the last march.

Three days had passed. Three long, hard days. The Council had decided to take Link's advice after all, and the Hylians had gone back under the leadership of Stagrim.

Link, Ereb, Zelda, and Old Majora marched at the head of the Goron force.

And then they all saw it.

Link had been marching more slowly over the past three days, battling his terror at what was to come. He felt every breath more, felt every muscle in his body weaken at the idea of certain death.

He had seen it. He knew how he would die.

But that just made it harder.

And he looked up, and saw it.

Looming up in the distance, a dark line of shadowy presence, it stood.

Ganondorf's Tower.

A monument of evil, black and menacing, strong and tall. A red flag blew in the wind at its pinnacle. It was surrounded by a great wall.

The army approached slowly, having little idea of how to proceed. They looked up, and saw that no guards were on the walls. They looked around, and saw no enemy coming to challenge them.

Link saw the gate. It was tall and thick, arching up into the wall. The army moved towards it; it was the only visible means of entrance.

Link stepped up to the gate. He lifted his head, and took a deep, steadying breath. No matter what happened, he was the Hero. And as the Hero, this was his duty.

Here. Now. This was his duty to them all.

He drew his sword, the sword of Heroes, the sword of light, the Master Sword.

And he stood straighter. His jaw tightened. His heartbeat slowed.

He strode up to the gate, and shoved it. It swung open. It had been left unlocked.

His mind took this fact in, though he had barely noticed it. He stepped within the confines of the walls, and nodded to himself.

"This is it."

He saw them approaching long before they had seen the tower. A dark line of motion, headed in his direction. He stepped away from the window, and nodded to the officers before him.

They sped out of the chamber and off to their forces. Ganondorf turned back to the window. They were closer now.

He grabbed his new weapon, secretly forged over the past five days in his tower. A weapon cursed with dark spells, a weapon whose steel was infused with blood, a weapon with a message carved into it.

 _The Hero's Lineage will end._

"This is it." He said, and vanished _._

The Rebel army stood, rank upon rank. Every eye was set on the tower's gate. Every hand gripped its weapon tighter and tighter with each passing moment. Every mouth was dry.

Zelda stood in the back with a bow. Link and Ereb stood at the head with swords drawn.

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the gate behind the army slammed shut. A sinister laugh echoed through the fortress.

"Welcome, Hero…" it said.

A sudden groaning sound erupted from the tower's gate. It slowly was opening.

Ereb turned to Link. "I'm petrified."

Link looked at Ereb, his heart pounding. "I am too." He agreed, remembering the ceremony. It seemed so long ago.

The gate was now a quarter open. They could see a dark mass beyond, waiting to charge out at them. A ray of sunlight glinted on the enemy's steel. Red and green eyes of Miniblin flared. Moblin feet impatiently stamped. A Darknut bellowed.

"If we die here," Ereb said, his voice shaking, "we die as heroes, don't we?"

A tear swept through Link's eye. He had just caught a glimpse of the Ereb he knew.

"No, Ereb." He said.

The gate opened more and more. There were mere inches to go. Link raised his sword.

"We die as brothers."

A loud clang. A horrific chorus of fell roars. A tremendous shout from Big Brother.

Ganondorf's forces rushed out, their feet slamming the ground heavily with each step, their eyes shining with bloodlust.

Ereb backed up a step and lowered his blade. Link sidestepped, and prepared to move.

Every heartbeat lasted a minute. Every blink brought the enemy slowly closer.

All Link could hear were the words of Sir Marcus. There was no other sound.

 _We may die here, Link. This may be the end of the road..._

His Eyes met the eyes of a leading Moblin. He took a deep breath.

 _…But I swore to protect you. I will die before you fall._

"FOR HYRULE!" He cried, his voice echoing in his ears.

The Rebels surged forward. A Goron beat a war drum.

Zelda released an arrow. It streaked over the heads of the Rebels.

Link rushed forward, tears streaming down his face. "FOR SIR MARCUS! FOR ELNOR! FOR THE KING!" he shouted.

The two forces met with a deafening clash. Blades swiped through the air, and through limbs, releasing the ferocious hatred of both sides. The front lines were leveled in moments, but hundreds more rushed to take the places of their fallen comrades.

Link and Ereb fought back to back, repelling each attacker with powerful blows. Zelda's bow sang as arrows flew at the enemy.

 _Carnage_ was the name of the grounds between the tower and wall. It was a title aptly chosen.

Link ran a Bokoblin through, receiving a cut on his shoulder for his troubles, and dodged three quick swipes from a Miniblin's scimitar. The sun boiled down upon the battle. All was a confused tangle of pain and heat and blood.

 _clang clang ting clash_

Link felt cold suddenly. He swung at a Darknut, cutting its breastplate open, and turned around to see what was happening.

Ganondorf stood before him, his eyes red and shining, his teeth bared in a ferocious smile, his presence dark.

Link stepped back, whipped his sword backwards and finished the Darknut off. Then he glared at the beast.

For a beast Ganondorf had become, in all manner save shape. A beast of terror, a beast of darkness, a beast of treachery, a beast of evil.

And the Hero and the Beast locked glares.

It was as if a palpable wave of knowledge was rippling through the battle. The knowledge that nothing any soldier on either side did really mattered. The knowledge that here, here in the eyes of the Hero and the Beast, in the silent duel of light and darkness that would soon personify itself, lay the true battle.

And as one, almost without realizing what they were doing, all of the fighters on both sides lowered their weapons and turned towards their leaders.

A cloud blotted out the sun.

The Beast raised its weapon; an enormous ball and chain, dark as night and cold as ice.

The Hero raised his weapon; a long sword, bright as day, its blade a beam of sparkling light.

And there was stillness.

"Link. It has been a long time." growled Ganondorf.

Link's eyes narrowed.

"I was so saddened to learn of Elnor's death." Ganondorf continued. "He was a good friend, was he not?"

Link slowly settled into an attacking stance.

"Perhaps I could reunite you." Ganondorf hissed. In a blindingly fast movement, he whirled the ball and chain, and swung it at Link. Link leaped back, feeling a rush of air hit him as the ball whizzed by.

The ball shot at him three more times before Ganondorf stopped swinging. He pulled a sword.

Link sucked in a gulp of air. He had seen this happen before.

He dodged the first swing, and blocked the second. Suddenly, he felt a strange prompting. He slashed out three times rapidly, and then lunged forward.

Ganondorf blocked the first two swings, but ducked under the third. The lunge penetrated his stomach.

"ARGGGH!" he bellowed. He staggered back, clutching the wound with his free hand.

Link rose his sword again. Ganondorf swore. "It was prophesied! You will die!"

He leaped forward with incredible speed, and stabbed at Link.. Link backpedaled, but not fast enough. A fiery, cold, unbearable lance of pain stabbed through his body.

"Agghhh…" he gurgled.

Ganondorf laughed, and ripped the sword out.

Link staggered on the spot for a moment, and then collapsed to his knees.

"NO!" he heard Zelda and Ereb cry.

The battle around them suddenly began again. Blood flew. Both sides fought with redoubled ferocity.

Ganondorf laughed.

The world began to fade into a torrent of pain. Link saw his sword on the ground by his side.

Ganondorf laughed.

Link reached for it, crying out in agony.

Ganondorf laughed.

Link's fingers brushed the sword's hilt, but he couldn't grasp it… He couldn't reach it…

Ganondorf laughed.

Link looked up, and could see Ereb being surrounded… Could see Moblins rushing at Zelda, spears lowered…

Ganondorf laughed.

With a cry of desperation, vengeance, pain, Link reached for it again. His fingers wrapped around the handle…

Ganondorf laughed, and turned towards Link.

Link felt a surge of strength, a powerful wave of final determination that brought him off of his knees…

Ganondorf's laugh faded.

Link rushed at the Beast, the Traitor, the Murderer…

Ganondorf whipped his sword up, and began to swing at Link's head. Link swatted the blow away, brought the blade back, and with a shout, plunged it into Ganondorf.

Link staggered, then fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.

A confused look came into Ganondorf's eyes. He looked down. He saw the sword in him. He saw the Hero dying on the ground.

And in that moment, Ganondorf Dragonmire saw everything he had done collapsing around him. None of it had mattered. He had been stopped. It was over.

And he dropped to the ground.

The cloud that had covered the sun began to disintegrate.

Ganondorf's forces saw their leader fall. They looked from his body to the powerful Gorons, and then back to his body. It was not worth dying for a leader who was already dead.

They threw down their weapons in defeat.

Link managed to smile. Then all was darkness.


	57. Chapter 56 - The Last Nightmare

**Chapter 56: The Last Nightmare**

He saw a dark cloud. It was not a cloud of the world. It was not a cloud with any true substance. It was barely there. And yet its presence cast his heart into shivering fear. It may not be substantial, and yet it was all too real. It was the gaping maw of evil, the abyss of its foul throat, growing slowly larger, as though a horrific beast was preparing to swallow him. He struggled against it, but closer it came, a hideous leering force of darkness, an all consuming shadow.

And then he fell. He fell into the shadow, fell farther, farther, faster…

And the farther he fell, the farther the end seemed. It was as though eternity was opening its cloak of finite understanding, and revealing to him at long last the truth. The truth that _endless_ was not even a word that could begin to describe its length.

And still he fell.

Suddenly, abruptly, shockingly, he stopped. And he was standing in a room, a large throne room. The walls were gouged and crumbling, ghostly light peeped in through holes in the cracked ceiling, but it was a throne room nonetheless.

Something compelled him to look at the throne itself. It was empty.

Or was it?

He could not tell.

For there seemed to be no one there, and yet, like a phantom, there was. A dark ghostly being was seated in the throne.

Link found that he could speak.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The ghost slowly came into focus. Link gasped.

It was a hideous being. The first thought that entered into Link's mind was _demon_.

It was like a man mixed with a bull, without flesh or hair. It was like a skeleton with rotting skin stretched over it. It stood slowly on two long legs, expanding its rib cage chest. It had two human arms, but the hands were totally inhuman. They were long and claw like.

But the worst was its head.

It was long and fierce, like a bull's, with two long horns protruding from the sides. Its eyes were gaping holes, from which a flaming red light shone. It smiled ferociously.

"I am the Oracle of Doom." It said. Its voice sounded raw and dead.

Three of the white eyed creatures appeared out of nowhere before him. They hurried forward and bowed.

Link, still stunned by the sight of the Oracle, could only stand there.

"You refused my offer, Hero." Growled the Oracle. "I was displeased to learn of it."

Link found his tongue. "I would never join you. Not before, when I had only seen your servants, and definitely not now, when I have seen you in person."

The Oracle's nostrils flared. "I am unsurprised by this, Hero, though it still displeases me. And yet, despite your actions, I have still won. Ganondorf was defeated, and you will die."

The creatures edged closer. They began to chant.

 _We have waited long for this. The end of the Hero's lineage, and hence the last threat to our dominion._

The Oracle laughed. It was a horrible sound.

"I am in control! I am ruler! I AM KING!

 _ASHI coMblante!"_

The Oracle's eyes blazed with red flame. It laughed again. The walls and roof began to crumble with earsplitting cracks.

"YOU HAVE NOT LONG TO LIVE, AND THEN I SHALL RULE FOREVER!"

Link dropped to the ground. He felt as though he was being stabbed by Ganondorf again. And again. And again…

"NO!" he screamed.

And then, in the midst of the confusion, in the midst of the destruction, in the midst of the inevitable doom, came a voice.

 _No, Hero. Not yet._

Somehow, Link found that he had the sword in his hand again. It began to shine.

 _Not yet._

He stood, ignoring the pain, and rushed forward. Seized by some impulse he could not, and would never, understand, he threw the sword.

It sliced through the air, shining like a star.

And at that moment, the Oracle turned toward Link.

It saw the sword, and it saw the Hero collapsing to the ground in pain, and it saw that it had been defeated, and it saw the blade spinning towards him, and into him.

It screeched in pain. The sword disintegrated on contact with the beast's body. The flame in the Oracle's eyes was extinguished. With another shriek of agony, it crumpled into itself and vanished. The Oracle of Doom was gone.

And Link was lying there on the floor of the throne room, left helpless as everything collapsed around him. He looked up, and saw a chunk of rock fall straight at him. He screamed, and all was darkness.


	58. Chapter 57 - The Gift

**Chapter 57: The Gift**

He came to.

The pain in his stomach was gone.

There was a light around him. He sat up.

He was back in the battlefield, surrounded by hewn corpses of monsters and Gorons. Zelda and Ereb kneeled at his side, looks of intense worry on their faces. He seemed to be alright, but how could they truly know?

The Ghost King appeared. A smile rested upon his face.

"You have done well, Hero."

Link stood. Ereb and Zelda rushed to support him, but he did not need it. Somehow, he was totally healed.

He looked at the Ghost.

"You did this."

The Ghost nodded. "It was the most I could give. You have freed Hyrule not only from Ganondorf, but from the Oracle, for a very long time."

Link gasped. "The Oracle is still alive?"

The King's face fell. "Yes, Link, he is. The Oracle of Doom is a power too great to ever be truly defeated. He is crippled, horribly so, perhaps irreparably so, but he will never be totally gone."

Link shook his head. "Then it didn't matter. None of it. The Oracle will just return."

The Ghost shook his head. "No, Link. You stood against the Oracle, and succeeded! And if the Oracle ever should return, all it would take is another to succeed. Then it would be crippled again, and peace would return. As long as there is someone to stand for what is right, as long as there is a candle in the darkness, there is hope."

Link nodded. Then he saw Ganondorf's body.

The sword was still there.

The Ghost King looked at Link. "There lies one evil that has been forever ended. Ganondorf will harm no one anymore."

Link was surprised to find that tears were running down his cheeks. In death, Ganondorf looked as he once had. Link could see the kindly, though strict, language instructor that the traitor had pretended to be.

And he found himself burning with the wish that none of it had happened. That Ganondorf had not turned to evil.

That those whose lives the war had taken, Sir Marcus, General Haelberg, Elnor… were still here. Were still alive and happy.

And then he felt a hand on his shoulder. And another on his other shoulder.

He turned to look at them, tears streaming down his face, heart aching with sadness.

Zelda and Ereb moved closer to him. They were crying as well.

It was over. For them, and for many others, for hundreds of years to come, it was over.

It was over.

And then Stagrim approached him, and Old Majora. There were several long moments of silence.

Then Old Majora laughed, and threw his arms around him. Link suddenly felt Stagrim, Zelda, and Ereb do the same. Then Big Brother, weeping with joy, picked all of them up in a huge embrace. The Ghost King smiled again, and began to fade.

The rest of the army began to celebrate, throwing down their weapons and cheering.

Link managed to squeeze out of the throng of people surrounding him. He walked to Ganondorf's body.

He pulled the sword out of the dead Gueredo's body, and cleaned it with a strip of cloth torn from his tunic. Then he laid it on Ganondorf's chest, and moved his hands over it. He closed the red eyes.

He began to move back to the rejoicing army, but then turned back. He could not understand why he had just done what he had done. Ganondorf had destroyed everything he loved.

And he remembered Sir Marcus. Something moved in his mind.

 _Sir Marcus would have done it._ He thought.

 _He would be proud._

And then he turned back, and never saw Ganondorf again.


	59. Chapter 58 - The End

**Chapter 58: The End**

Six months later, Link mounted a horse.

He still had a scar from where Ganondorf had stabbed him on his stomach. He rubbed it absent-mindedly. Checking one last time to see that he had everything he needed, he sighed.

Flicking the reins, he moved forward.

He rode quietly through the street, and up to the gate. The two guards there bowed, and opened it.

He entered the courtyard.

Zelda and Ereb were there waiting for him.

"Are you sure?" said Zelda, looking a bit worried.

Link nodded. "I'll be back. Jade just wants me for a few weeks. He wants to chronicle everything that happened."

Ereb nodded. "I wish we could come."

Link nodded as well. "I do too."

There was a very pregnant pause. The three had not been separated once since their return to Hyrule.

"Be careful." Zelda said. A tear ran down her face.

"I will be fine." Replied Link, feeling just as distressed as Zelda and Ereb looked. "I will be back in a few weeks. I promise. This isn't the end."

They nodded.

With a steadying breath, Link turned the horse, waved goodbye, and rode out of the Castle.

He had been riding for ten minutes when he reached Hyrule Field. The sun was rising.

He looked back one last time.

The Castle was much repaired since the battle, and even now, early in the morning, the sound of clinking tools reached Link's ears. He smiled, and rode off.

Ereb walked through a hallway.

Suddenly, a doctor rushed past him, panting. He sped into a room along the hall, and slammed the door.

There was stillness for several long moments.

Then, out of the silence, came the cry of a newborn child.

Ereb smiled.

Link had been right.

It wasn't the end.

It was a whole new beginning.


End file.
